Built on Hope (Cassian Andor FF)
by TAngel96
Summary: Cassian Andor's life was dedicated to the Rebel Alliance, but how did that come to be? He has a past of assassinations, spying, and everything else that comes with the hidden side of the fire-hearted rebellion. Cassian thought he could handle anything that stood in his way...Well, until he came across Talia Revik. "Rebellions are built on hope."
1. Author's Note

Welcome! I've had this idea since the first day the movie came out. I'm now posting it because I debated on putting it on here. C

This fanfic is about Cassian Andor's backstory. He said he did a lot of things for the Rebellion that weren't good, and that's what peaked my interest. Sometimes, you hae to take care of things, even if you're part of the good guys. I'm not going to say a lot about the OC, but only because I want to leave some mystery! ;D This story will be coming soon!

I've casted Keira Knightley as my OC, Talia Revik.

Playlist for the story:

i. Behind Closed Doors - Rise Against | ii. Can You Feel My Heart - Bring Me the Horizon | iii. Human - Rag'n'Bone | iv. Citizen Soldiers - 3 Doors Down | v. El Outsider - Cafe Tacuba (and anything by them at Diego Luna's request) | vi. Unsteady - X Ambassadors | vii. Gimme Something Good - Ryan Adams | viii. Even the Darkness Has Arms - Barr Brothers | ix. Sleep Walk - Ritchie Valens (I had to throw Ritchie in here somewhere!) |


	2. Prologue - 20 BBY

The planet Fest was freezing cold and quiet. Snow constantly fell from the ice planet's atmosphere and covered it from pole to pole. Usually the bustling city life in the valley echoed through the mountain ranges, but at night, everything was peaceful. The city of Ralock's only sounds were people hanging out in bars and vehicles flying home.

Little six year old Cassian Andor huddled in his oversized blue coat as he lay on the snow. His mid-length brown hair whipped around against the howling winds. Chills ran down his frail body, and he wished to be inside his warm home. His parents tried to drill the idea of rebellion into his brain, but he didn't quite understand. The city was safe. No one was harmed. After much arguing, his parents always said he would come to find out what that meant on his own. He shuddered against the cold and his dark eyes focused on his mother.

Xyrias Andor peered through macrobinoculars. Her raven black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail to keep her hair from getting in her green eyes. She lay in the snow in her dark brown outfit, which was covered in snow flakes. She hadn't moved a muscle since they got there. She must've been freezing, but she showed no signs of it.

Cassian's father, Kylath Andor, patted Cassian on the back softly. He sent his son a comforting smile, one that made Cassian return the gesture happily. This was Cassian's first real act in a rebellion. From throwing cans and bottles at Separatist droids, to infiltrating a facility to blow it up. Kylath couldn't express how proud he was. He adjusted himself and his black uniform in the freezing snow. The wind hit his bald head and made it feel as if it were frozen. His brown eyes wandered over to the facility, then back at his wife.

They had been monitoring the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) droid military assembly plant for quite some time, but now was the right moment to execute the plan.

The plan to make the CIS military leave the planet once and for all.

A Confederacy research center had popped up within the first few days of the Clone Wars. The purpose was to make the phrik supermetal, which none of the natives appreciated. Cassian's parents were part of the few who stood up against the CIS, but the facility had too much security. They called in a few favors with their friends in the Republic, and the facility was destroyed by the Omega Squad ten months into the war. If they could do that, then with some planning, they could overcome this droid facility.

They had no help now from the Republic.

Xyrias motioned to her family and the other Ralock rebels. She set down the macrobinoculars and nodded in the direction of the facility. "There doesn't seem to be a patrol. It must be too cold out here for the droids."

Someone spoke up from the far end of the line of rebels, "So what do we do now?"

Kylath looked over at him and held up a bomb. "Stick with the plan. We'll split up." He stood up and held his small blaster pistol with his free hand. He handed the bomb to Cassian and his eyes flickered amongst the other rebels. His deep voice rang in their ears, "Make ten men feel like a hundred."

Cassian stared at the little flat bomb in his hand as he got up from the cold, compacted snow. Everyone stood up around him and started to split up into groups. Xyrias took the lead, while Kylath walked side-by-side with Cassian. One group of four headed to the back of the facility, while the other group followed behind Cassian's family.

Cassian stared up at the tall, dark facility that loomed overhead. Against the black, cloudy sky, the facility blended in with the mountains. The cold atmosphere seemed to disappear the closer they got. Heat radiated off of the building like a ready to use cooker. He held on to his small blaster pistol carefully as they approached the doors.

Kylath motioned to one of the rebels. The man stepped forward and placed the only electromagnetic pulse charge they had on the door. He twisted the top of the round bomb until it locked into place and started flashing red. "Here's to hoping it works," the man declared before taking a step back. The door's control panel fried once the EMP went off, causing the door to unlock. Kylath helped the man pry the door open and let everyone inside.

It was unlike anything Cassian had ever seen.

Tiers of assembly line machinery stacked on top of each other, the dark colored belts twisting and turning with every floor it went up. The ceiling was incredibly high, and had a mechanical belt of finished droids moving from one end of the huge room to the other. Electronics whirred and zapped the droids as they assembled them. Unfinished droid parts lay at the bottom of the belt, leading to the top where they were completely assembled. The smoke from the machinery rose to the top of the room and got sucked into the ventilation system. Loud gears shifted every second, and the weight on the belt put a huge pressure on the machinery, causing a deep vibration to shake the floor.

A wall of deactivated droids hung in resting position on their right, waiting for orders to be given. Their lanky limbs shook at any vibration caused by the machinery on the other side of the room. B1 Battle Droids and B2 Super Battle Droids alike held their metal hands clenched, revealing their aggressive programming had a complete handle on their minds.

Cassian glanced over all of the machinery and the droids being carried at the top. He wondered how they were like in battle. Did they shoot really cool rockets from their wrists? Did bullets fly from their hands? Could they blast clone troopers away with laser beams from their eyes? His mind wandered as he followed his parents' lead and set the explosives on the machinery. He turned the top of the bombs to change it to waiting position.

"Hey, you!" A thin, beige B1 Battle Droid yelled out. He put his gun up and aimed to shoot, but one of the men shot him down. The droid clanked when he hit the ground.

The group didn't know any droids were active in the facility.

If these were active, who knows what orders they could give. The droids could activate any others in the facility. Then, the group was shit out of luck. They would be overpowered.

Maybe even killed.

A B2 Super Battle Droid turned the corner of a hallway and peered down at the ground. He saw the group in the corner of his eye, and spun to face them. "Stop right there!" It fired a homing rocket towards the group.

Xyrias shoved Cassian down to the ground and did the same. "Get down!"

The only other woman in their group attempted to dodge the rocket, but her reflexes were too slow. Her right arm and whole right side got hit in the blast. She cried out in excruciating pain before taking her last breath. Six more B1 droids rounded the corner and joined in the fight.

Blood sprayed everywhere and scared one of the men. His blue eyes widened in fear as he watched the body fall to the ground. He dragged his free hand down his cheek, wiping off the blood in the process. He bit the inside of his lip before firing at the group of robots. His hand began to shake, and he couldn't steady it.

He took down the B2 droid and a single B1 droid. The man ducked behind the conveyer belt and rolled a little ways down until he got close enough to fire point blank. The droids all turned on him and fired, burning a few dozen holes in his chest before he could react.

Kylath gestured to the camera in the far corner, "Xyrias, the camera!" Xyrias peered down her sniper scope and disabled the camera quickly. If there were any droids in the security chamber, they wouldn't be able to see anything. She hoped they would assume their fellow droids killed them.

Cassian peered over the machine he was behind and rested the bottom of his gun on it. He steadied his breath and closed one eye to get better perception. He let out a deep breath. Cassian's finger hit the trigger, shooting straight at one of the droids. Target hit. Kill confirmed. He cheered and grinned widely at his parents, "I got one!"

Xyrias acknowledged her son with a smile, "Good work, Cassian." She fired at the droids and managed to hit one in the side of the head. When it fell, it distracted one of the other droids, giving Kylath enough time to shoot it dead.

One of the men got hit by enemy fire in the arm and yelped in pain. The other man covered him and took down the remaining two droids before they could wound anyone else. The wounded rebel touched his arm slightly, only to wince at the movement of sensitive skin. Blood dripped down to the end of his arm and started to soak into his clothing. The injured man waved off the pain and motioned for them to keep going. They had a mission to do.

Kylath's lips formed a tight line as he counted how many bombs were placed. There were enough to blow the facility…maybe. There was a big chance the whole chain of bombs would fail and only cause a minor setback for the CIS. He furrowed his brow for a moment and stated, "We're done here. Let's go see where the others are on the security cameras. If there are other droids, we can inform them before another firefight breaks out."

The injured man hissed at the pain rising from his wound and managed to ask through gritted teeth, "We're safe now, right?"

"Never assume we're safe until we're out," Xyrias declared. She lead the way down a hall, her gun positioned and ready to shoot at whatever was thrown their way.

Kylath agreed with his wife with a nod. "Anything can go wrong."

The group headed down another hall stealthily. Kylath pointed with his gun to one of the doors on their right. Xyrias shot him a look of confusion. She wasn't entirely sure if he was right, but the reassuring expression that soon covered her husband's face changed her mind. Kylath and the other two men stayed on one side of the door. She motioned Cassian to lean close to the wall next to her as she opened the door with the side panel. She held her gun near her chest and waited patiently.

"H-hello?" A B1 Battle Droid called out, its high pitched voice shaky. He got up from his seat at the security desk and grasped his blaster in his hands. His light colored feet clanked against the floor. Sometimes, his metal would screech against it, causing Cassian to flinch at the wretched sound.

Once the droid came around the corner, Xyrias shot him point blank. The blast blew a big hole in the middle of its slender head. The droid fell to the ground lifeless as its eyes blacked out.

"Who's out there?" A deeper voiced droid piped up.

Kylath tensed a bit. He shook his head at Xyrias slightly, and eyed her. He mouthed the words, _I have this one._ This next droid was trouble, and he wasn't going to give it the chance to harm his family. He leaned into the doorway and caught sight of where it was.

The B2 Super Battle Droid shot its cannon arm up straight and fired a homing rocket at Kylath. Kylath quickly backed out of the room and covered his face to cover himself from any debris. He set his finger on the trigger of his small blaster before diving into the room. He fired a few shots at the gray, bulky droid, but the hardened metal casing didn't let any of the shots through. He dodged the next few blasts the droid threw at him. Kylath rolled and got close enough to bash its circular blue eye with his gun and shoot it multiple times. The droid hit the ground hard.

"Show off," Xyrias shot at Kylath playfully. He simply shrugged and smirked at his wife. The other two men joined them in the room to look over the map of the area. They took notice of the only other exit and attempted to communicate with the other group on the communicator. Their response was full of screaming and incoherent yelling, while blasters fired in the background. The group tensed up at the thought of how many droids were there attacking them.

Cassian eyed the security monitor and furrowed his eyebrows. Aurebesh letters scrawled at the top of the green-tinted monitor. Four little screens popped up, showing the camera view from each room. The screens cycled through all of the different rooms, slowly but surely. Multiple things moved quickly along the floor in one of the rooms and disappeared out of view. He tilted his head to get a better angle, but he couldn't figure out what he was looking at. The camera panned to another room, and there the things were again. He pointed at the screen and questioned, "What's that moving?"

The four adults turned to the monitor and watched it curiously. The objects rolled along the floor at great speeds, and seemed to be heading in their direction. One of the men whispered so quietly that it almost wasn't audible, "What are these things?"

Xyrias watched the screen with uncertainty in her eyes. She hung her head for a moment and responded, "Droidekas. I've heard about them, but never seen them until now."

"I thought these were just rumors to scare the civilians," Kylath remembered. Many people that hung out in the bars were smugglers or people attempting to lay low. They were the ones who spread the rumors, but he never thought they were true. He thought they were just drunks trying to get a laugh.

Xyrias murmured under her breath, "Guess not."

The other man spoke up, "How do we kill them?" He held onto his gun tightly, making the skin on his hands turn a ghostly white.

Kylath answered him without hesitation, "Shoot until they stop." Kylath handed Xyrias the small detonator and allowed her to forge ahead towards the exit with Cassian. He stayed behind them with two other men, who glimpsed back warily from time-to-time. Beads of sweat fell from their skin, and their muscles screamed for rest. They had to keep going. The Droidekas were catching up at an alarming rate.

The moment the droids caught up, they stopped and shifted into defensive position to fire at the rebels. Kylath turned to shoot while still running. The wounded rebel fell to the ground in agony as scorch marks from the blasters molded into his clothes. Blood drained from his wounds, which caused goose bumps to form on Kylath's arms. The other man ran with him, looking back at the rolling Droidekas every few seconds. Sweat dripped down Kylath's brow, and he quickly wiped it away. He fired more shots at the droids, but the Droidekas stopped rolling and got into defensive position. The blue protective shields went up in bubbles around them. The droids fired their blasters; the red lasers headed straight towards Kylath and the other man.

Kylath dodged as much as he could, but he still got hit in the side. He screamed out for a short second and shot back. He rapidly hit the trigger of his gun to the point where one of the shields went down, and he and the other rebel were able to annihilate the droid.

One down, two to go.

Kylath clutched his burning wound. He noticed how much blood fell and formed a puddle in his hand. He grimaced and kept running. The other two Droidekas fired for a moment, before folding into mobile position, and rolled in their direction. Kylath's running had slowed down, for his wound ached and burned with the intensity of a fire. He noticed his wife and son far ahead of him. There was no way he'd be able to keep up. The rebel next to him was in the same state.

A sad realization struck Kylath's mind, and his breath hitched. He was too sluggish. The Droidekas were too quick. The droids would catch up to them before they left the facility safely.

All of them.

Gunned down before the mission could be completed… That _wasn't_ going to happen. Kylath peered ahead at his wife and son.

Cassian stopped running first and turned around. Xyrias did the same once she couldn't hear the pounding of feet on the hard ground. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and her mouth dropped at the sight of her husband. She shook her head and begged, "Kylath, please don't do this."

Kylath leaned his hand on the wall and winced at the pain from his wound. This mission was a success. His mission now was to get his family out safe, and that's exactly what he was going to do. Nothing was going to hold him back from saving them. He called out to them, his voice wavering as he did, "Go, m-my loves."

"Papa!" Cassian started to run as fast as he could towards the door. His feet hit the ground hard and he moved his arms back and forth to gain more speed.

Kylath shut the electronic door, then shot the control panel. The door sealed shut and wouldn't budge when Cassian got near it. Blaster shots fired rapidly on Kylath's side, one after the other. Droid noises whirred and malfunctioned. Shrieks of pain echoed into Cassian's ears, causing him to flinch. His brown eyes widened and he cried out for his father once more in a broken voice, "Pap-pa!"

Xyrias sprinted back towards her son and grabbed his hand. She blinked back the fresh tears in her emerald eyes and tugged in the other direction. "We must go, little one."

Cassian didn't want to leave his father. He was on the other side of that door, fighting off the Droidekas. _He's going to live. He has to. He has to come home._ Cass thought as tears formed in his eyes. His hand slid down the heavy metal door; his little heart ached so much. It pounded against his rib cage, and for a moment, he thought it would break out. Cassian dropped his hand to his side and reluctantly followed his mother outside of the factory.

Only two other rebels stood outside at the rendezvous point. Xyrias frowned and nodded to them solemnly. They returned the gesture and faced the factory, waiting for the next move. Many were lost in there, but this cause was worth it. They were going to have their planet back. The droids would finally be gone. Xyrias glimpsed down at the small detonator in her hand. She whispered under her breath, "This is for you, Kylath."

Xyrias pushed the button, causing the factory to rumble. Booms erupted from the inside, and blew some of the walls apart. Debris flew all around the building, revealing the fires inside. Smoke rose from the top of the wrecked walls and spilled out into the chilly air. Cassian slowly clenched his fist together. Tears streamed down his face like a river, raining onto the cold snow beneath him. He watched as the flames engulfed the factory in booming explosions that rocked the earth.

He learned what it meant to stand up for others and what he believed. This would benefit the planet. Help it thrive more than it already was. The natives shouldn't have to live in fear on their own land. They shouldn't have to deal with wars they aren't involved in. Rebelling sent that message. It showed the natives could handle their own, and they wouldn't allow their land to be used for something so devious. Rebellions fight against the evil in the world. If only Cassian could have seen that sooner. His dad could have told him he was proud of him. But now, he'll never get to hear those words.

This was only the beginning.


	3. Chapter 1 - Coruscant - 2 BBY

_AN: Cut this into two parts because otherwise it would be too long. Hope you enjoy!_

 _A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..._

A CASSIAN ANDOR FAN FICTION

BUILT ON HOPE

 _The EMPIRE rules the galaxy with an iron fist. In a time of dire need, the REBELLION rises in the shadows to stop it. Operatives are everywhere. It's up to them to assist the alliance in any way they can._

 _Cassian Andor does everything he can to keep operations running smoothly, even if his hands have to get dirty in the process. He catches an urgent transmission from senator Bail Organa on Coruscant. Some of the other senators are acting suspicious, which isn't a good sign. Cassian races across the galaxy to find out what's going on._

 _He becomes part of a much bigger picture that could turn the tide for the REBELLION, or watch it crumble completely..._

Coruscant.

A place for diplomats, and anyone who doesn't mind living without nature. The Galactic City encompassed the entire planet, leaving no room for any new nature to take hold. The natural life of the planet disappeared long ago, and was replaced with the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the city.

Except, it all wasn't good. The middle and lower classes were forced to stay in the lower levels of the city. Level one was uninhabitable. Level two and above up until five hundred were heavy in atmosphere. Fog and smoke from factories hung low here, making oxygen a scarcity. They were forced to suffer, while the upper class breathed in fresh air from the top of the five thousand floored city.

Cassian Andor hated this planet. He didn't like stepping foot on it. He watched people suffer, but couldn't help. He never understood how the rich could do this. Cassian pushed his negativity aside as he strode up the walkway to the Senate Office Building. The building was extremely large, white, and dome shaped. Security troopers marched around the entrance at times. He was just glad he was wearing a black Imperial uniform.

Slipping past security was the easy part. Most of the senators were either out to lunch, or off planet for other events. The mission seemed simple enough. Sabotage the senators that were noticing key hints of rebellion support, and get the hell out of there. Maybe…just maybe…things wouldn't go awry this time.

He glanced down the long, pristine marble halls and followed the map inside his mind. He had memorized the map of the offices so he could get in and out swiftly. Cassian strode down the hall with confidence, head held up high. His hands swayed at his sides every few moments, only to be corrected seconds later. _Straight to my sides, eyes forward. Can't draw suspicion._

Cassian looked around the hall, finding it empty. _Arriving at lunch time really paid off._ He put a little camera bug in the middle of a crease in the wall to monitor the hall. That way, if anyone were to be coming, he would know it by looking at a portable screen he had. Courtesy of one of the bounty hunters he encountered a few years back. He touched the screen next to the door to get inside of the office, only to find the door unlocked. His eyebrows knit together in confusion. He had been the only one on this mission. It doesn't make sense that the senator would leave their office door unlocked. Cassian reached inside his tunic for his gun, but stopped himself. _I could be walking in on the senator. Best not make any moves I'll regret._ He fixed his uniform before walking inside, calm and collected.

That was, until, he found a woman sitting at the senator's desk, rummaging through files.

Cassian surged forward, nostrils flared, but voice hushed, "What do you think you're doing?"

Talia Revik whipped out her small blaster pistol without hesitation and aimed it at him. She dropped what she held onto the desk, but didn't take her oak brown eyes off of him. The cap on her head moved slightly, but was held in place by her tight bun. Her lips formed a tight line. Her heart rate sped up, and her free hand shook lightly. _I don't want to kill you. Don't give me a reason._ She thought she said this out loud, but the words wouldn't make it passed her throat.

Talia clenched her free hand as she slowly made her way around the desk. She had to run. _Now_. Chances were, he was an Imperial. He would report this up to chain of command, but by the time that happened, Talia would already be off planet.

Cassian didn't say anything. He was too busy studying her. Small blaster pistol. Looking through a senator's files. The sudden intensity that was set off when she saw him. She's not supposed to be here, and whoever sent her put a lot of pressure on her shoulders. _She'd rather report failure than die trying._ Cassian eyed her pressured ghost white hand. _She's unsteady._ _Trying to keep her composure. She doesn't want to kill me, but if I make the wrong move, she'll shoot._

"You never saw me here," her voice was hard, strained almost. She lacked the Imperial accent, but that didn't mean she _didn't_ work for them.

Cassian's face fell emotionless. He couldn't tell if she was in the Alliance, a bounty hunter, or a spy for the Emperor himself. All three groups would send someone to dig up dirt. His eyes flickered down to her feet, then back up to her straight face as she made her way to the door. When she passed him, he quickly knocked the blaster out of her hand.

Talia made a sharp turn and elbowed him right in the rib cage. He staggered backwards, but rebounded just as quick. Cassian yanked her back before she could exit through the door and put her in a choke hold. She struggled against him as he dragged her back towards the desk. Talia kicked him and tried to scratch his face, but Cassian took the hits. He took the pain. Sharp burning pains rose in the parts of his body that were hit and he winced.

Cassian didn't let it get to him. He couldn't let it. He held on tightly, but loose enough to let her breathe a bit. "Who do you work for?" No response. Cassian brought Talia closer and he growled lowly, "Are you part of the Rebel Alliance?" Talia grunted, but gave no answer. She threw her head back to hit him, but he dodged it. Cassian held on tighter. "I'll take that as a yes. I'm going to let you go in a moment. Don't run. We're here on the same mission."

Talia furrowed her brow in confusion. _Meeting another spy in the field? That's uncommon._ Cassian released her, and she hesitated. She could bolt, but there would be no point, other than saving herself from whatever disaster she was about to enter. But…if they _were_ on the same mission, she'd rather take that chance to get it done. Talia rubbed her neck gently and sized him up.

Tall. Short dark hair. Small beard. Tired, brown eyes. He knew how to take a hit, and Talia respected that. He must've traveled often. Too often for comfort. Must've been a damn good spy, though. Good enough to go undetected. Cassian started his interrogation, "Who sent you here?"

"Fulcrum." Talia grabbed her gun from the ground and set it in the back of her pants underneath her dark gray tunic. "Who sent you?"

Cassian hadn't heard that name in a long time. Fulcrum wasn't a person. It was an alias used by several rebel informants over the years. He didn't know who sent her, but the sender must be getting antsy. The senators were in danger, and losing them would be a critical loss for the up-and-coming Rebellion. He blatantly ignored her question, and supplied one of his own, "Did they say why?"

"No. I was ordered to find out anything I could on what the senators know. That's it."

He studied her face. Calm. Serious. Her eyes stayed glued to his. She didn't clear her throat or swallow one too many times. The woman didn't raise her hands to touch her face or her hair. No signs of a tale. Cassian deemed her words as truthful. "What's your plan?"

Talia shrugged. "I was going to sleep with them and then interrogate them in a subtle manner. You know. Pillow talk." Cassian's expression got swept up in shock. He cleared his throat uncomfortably at the possibility. His reaction caused Talia to chuckle a little loudly. "I'm kidding. It's like you've never heard a joke before."

Cassian's expression fell. He stared hard at her and didn't crack a smile. What she said was dirty work. Something he hated, but knew all too well. He took out a few letters from his inside pocket and held them up. "I was sent here on a different mission. I copied their handwriting into a series of letters detailing an upcoming rebellion event. It would prove they're in charge of it, thus getting them into trouble."

"Then the senators would be safe. Smart." Talia crossed her arms. They were sent here on different missions, but why? She was supposed to gather intel from the suspected senators, while he was supposed to frame them. It made no sense. Then again, two very different people gave the orders. Different priorities were in line.

"Smart is what I do best." He handed her a letter to place in the desk as a sign of trust. She hadn't gained his complete trust, but it was enough to get them both through the mission as a team. "We'll do this together."

Talia wanted to scoff, but resisted the urge. A team? There was a reason the rebel spies didn't work together. If any of them were to get caught, they wouldn't know any information on anyone else. She was putting herself in danger by letting him see her face. She could see he studied her, much like she did to him. He wasn't one keen on leaving anything forgotten. "Maybe we're better off alone."

"Together is better than you being alone and getting caught."

Talia frowned. An unsettling feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. "Excuse me? I can handle myself, thank you very much."

Cassian ignored her comment and moved on. "Put the letter in the desk." She could give up his position if she was alone. Together, he can at least keep an eye on her and lie his way out of anything she throws at him.

She scowled at him and moved to the desk. She cleaned up the mess she had made earlier, and tried to put it back the way it had been. While she did that, Cassian watched the small camera screen he had connected to the bug in the hall. His eyes widened a bit and his nerves jumped. _The senator is coming._ "Stay calm." He was telling himself that more than to Talia. He grabbed his silenced blaster pistol and slowly moved up against the wall behind a tall plant.

"What?" Talia looked at him curiously. Either she heard him wrong, or she didn't know what he meant. She finished putting the files away, but still had to find a spot for the letter. "What are you doing?"

Cassian inhaled and exhaled deeply. He slid the camera screen into his pocket and focused. The senator walked into the room, and stood in shock at seeing Talia. The senator was about to say something until Cassian put his hand over her mouth and shot her in the back.


	4. Chapter 2 - Risky Business

The silenced shot sent a wave of vibration up Cassian's arm. He resisted against it, holding his arm steady until he lowered it to his side slowly. Cassian set the senator down gently onto the ground to make sure not to make any unwanted noise. He put his blaster back in its hidden holster, but didn't tear his eyes away from the body. He took in deep, silent breaths; his shaking hands retreated behind his back. A sick wave of nausea overcame him, until he swallowed down the pain. Killing storm troopers was easy. Not being able to see the face behind the mask _made_ it easy.

This? Doing this made his stomach churn. He saw her face. The look of shock. The way her mouth contorted after death. The senator had three beautiful children. Conceited children, but nonetheless, delightful. A doting husband. A grandchild on the way. Now, look what he's done. Killed her for the sake of the mission.

An unsung silence drifted around the room. The senator's blood soaked into the carpet, a heavy stench of iron and copper wafted into the air. It was hard to move at first. Slight shock and nervousness jolted through Talia's system. She retracted her hand from her mouth. Working with another spy turned out to be…more eventful than she thought. He did the job his way. Ultimately, the dangerous way. She gulped heavily. "Tha-that's okay. Change of plan. We can pin this on the other two senators. We can say she knew too much and disagreed with her cohorts."

Cassian remained silent and unmoving. The gears in his head helped crank out some ideas. He forced his lips to move after he cleared his throat. He spoke slowly, as if he were in a daze, "The cleanliness in her office will make sense. Shows a sign of knowing her shooter, and welcomed them in. There was no need for a struggle."

 _It was so easy for him to kill, but he at least feels something afterwards. I wonder if I'm safe while working with him._ Talia slipped the letter into the desk and shut it. She moved to Cassian, who refrained from jumping. His nerves stood on end, but he had to play it cool. He swallowed hard and let her pass him. She stopped for a moment, turning back to him with an expression of concern plastered on her face. "Are you going to be okay?"

 _Eventually._ Cassian nodded reassuringly. Maybe years into his retirement. Maybe when he was finally able to sleep peacefully. Having insomnia never helped, and neither did the nightmares that came when he succumbed to sleep. All those memories were nearly burned into the back of his eyelids.

No one walked down the hall outside the room. A few storm troopers made their rounds down the adjacent hall, not paying attention at all as they passed by. Talia led the way outside of the office. Cassian followed, grabbing his camera bug on the way out. She felt the urge to ask for his name, but refrained from doing so. She knew protocol. _Know as little as possible about the other rebels._ She huffed and continued on, falling into step with Cassian.

 _Push it away. This mission is more important._ Cassian overcame the heavy feeling that engulfed him. His body seemed lighter, and there was a pep in his step. Averting his mind to the mission was all the help he needed to focus. His dark eyes darted from one side of the hall to the other. The place started to fill back up with workers, but the senators weren't in sight. _Please don't come back early…_

Praying was for people who believed something would answer them, help them out of their current situation in any means necessary. Andor wasn't the praying type. He didn't see the point in it. He's asked for peace. For some happiness. For some down time. For a lead that would end the Emperor's reign.

 _Nothing ever came._

In his mind, the Force never aided him (if there was a such thing), so why would any other 'high being'? Jedi, Sith, the Force, deities, all of it must've been false. All he had was _hope_.

Talia smiled at one of the workers that passed by. The woman returned the gesture happily. Appearing so serious created suspicion. Maybe if someone started asking around about them, they wouldn't suspect her of anything. Talia's insides squirmed. She was only getting more antsy by the moment. Once someone found the senator's body, that was it. The building would shut down, and they'd be forced to wait until an investigation finished. Knowing the Empire, that could take a while. She took in a deep breath and glanced at Cassian.

He seemed perfectly fine. No worry or anguish splayed across his face. Talia wondered how he could throw his emotions away. Sure, she had her own decent poker face, but that was different. She didn't just kill someone.

Cassian made a few motions with his hands. Talia attempted to grasp what he said, if he said anything at all. For all she knew, it could have been a mechanical action to keep his focus. One eyebrow shot up in curiosity; she shook her head slightly to indicate she didn't understand. Cassian's lips formed a tight line. He forgot not all rebel spies knew sign language, and counting that there were over thousands of different types, it was nearly impossible to find someone with that knowledge. He simply mouthed the words, _We need to hurry._

An intelligence officer in a jet black uniform stopped the pair before they could round the corner. Talia's heart sank; Cassian refrained from tensing up. The officer quirked an eyebrow before speaking in his eloquent accent, "Is there something urgent you two are attending to?"

Cassian exhaled quietly. His mind processed different scenarios in an instant. Most ended in failure. Others ended in a gory escape. Few ended in peaceful success. He started to sign with his hands, but the officer responded with a puzzled expression.

The officer's newfound scrutinizing look focused in on Talia. A part of her wanted to duck her head. Another part of her wanted to slap the sly smirk that played on his lips. The officer thought he caught them red handed, but it was never this easy to apprehend a spy. She kept her poker face locked into her expression. "My coworker and I stayed late to help out. We're going to lunch now."

"You understand him?" The officer nodded towards Cassian.

Talia shook her head. "He's going to teach me during our breaks. All he can do is mouth words to me." She glanced at her partner in crime with a small smile. "I'll admit, it's easy to misinterpret, but I will get it right soon enough."

The officer glanced between the two of them. Cassian nodded after pretending to read Talia's lips. After a few moments, the officer stepped aside to let them pass. "Enjoy your lunch."

"Thank you, sir." Talia nodded. She walked on, and Cassian followed suit.

When they were out of earshot, Cassian acknowledged lowly, "You're quick on your feet. I'll give you that."

Talia lifted one corner of her lips. "A compliment? I'm shocked." Cassian grunted in response, and left her to her thoughts until they reached the office. She was a little envious of his sign language knowledge. If she was fluent, she could use it to get away from tight situations. Interpreters wouldn't be able to know which version she was using, allowing her to get away scot free.

Echoes of marching bounced off the walls, but not one Imperial stepped foot in the hall. Some others scurried around in the back of the hall, but eventually ducked into a room with urgent matters or in an attempt to avoid confrontations. Cassian set his hand on the second senator's door, carefully placing the camera bug in the crevice of the name plaque. Talia opened the door with ease and stepped inside the nearly empty office. A sitting area was set up in the corner, along with a few filing cabinets for important documents and proposals. The desk sat in the middle of the room, accompanied by two guest chairs in front of it. The carpet and walls shown a bright white against the lighting. The simplicity of the setup and lack of color vaguely reminded Cassian of a city on Kamino.

"Do you know how to forge handwriting?" Cassian questioned as he handed her the second series of letters.

If only. That would help immensely, especially with where she worked. "Not my area of expertise. Why?" Talia took the letters and checked through a few of the file cabinet's drawers for a hiding spot.

"We need a new letter to explain what happened with…well, you know." Cassian watched two troopers march down the hall, guns lazily held in their hands. They laughed and joked about something that had happened during lunch. He replied, a tinge of authority in his voice, "I'll write it then. You have to watch the hall."

This man seemed experienced enough, but doubt still set in. He fit the profile of a trigger happy new recruit, which caused some trust issues. He could turn on her in an instant if it came down to it. Then again, there was a way he carried himself, with dignity and a sense of clarity, that made him more of a rebel veteran who knew how to get shit done.

Nothing could get the image of his sullen expression after the kill out of Talia's mind. This spy had been through so much, the guilt, the pressure, all of it weighed on him, but he didn't let himself show it most of the time. He unintentionally revealed enough for Talia to trust him and his plan. She nodded and slipped the letters behind a few files in the back. She thumbed through a few miscellaneous papers, and paused for a second in sheer curiosity. _Mission to Onderon? Raid near DS 5? Why are the senators communicating about these missions?_ Talia didn't notice she spoke those words out loud, rather than in her mind.

Cassian's attention flickered to her, and he urgently moved towards the cabinet to take a closer look at the information. He knew those missions like the back of his hand. They were too recent to forget. "That must be their evidence against our senators. They must have found a rebel tie or a message between the missions. Both missions were an Imperial victory, and an incredible loss to the Alliance. On Onderon, a reconnaissance group was sent out, and only a sole survivor came back. The Raid near DS 5 ended up with the targeted supplies destroyed, including all Z-95 Headhunters and B-Wings." He paused to think, different thoughts clouding his mind. "There must be a leak somewhere…or the Empire is better at getting information than we thought."

Either scenario proved immense danger to the Alliance, or at least, what was formed of it. As of now, the Rebellion only consisted of spies, and some technicians and maintenance workers back at Senator Mothma's main base on Dantooine. None of them would last if this leak got a hold of important information. The Rebellion would be over before it even began.

A grimace spread across Talia's face as she shut the drawer. She hardly knew anything about what else happened in the Alliance, but this new information made a knot form in the pit of her stomach. The Rebellion was all she had. If that were to go down, then there was nothing in the galaxy she found hope in. Nowhere she belonged. The Empire would reign, without fighting against another Rebellion. The galaxy would be too afraid to start another one.

Before Cassian could turn around, he noticed Talia's expression. He glanced down at the camera feed, noticing the hall empty. He put the object in his pocket and looked her in the eye. "I will find the leak," Cassian assured Talia in a soothing voice.

Putting her mind at ease turned out to be easier than she thought. Cassian's accent rang in her ears with words of reassurance. She nodded, her lips forming a tight line. They stepped out into the hall and headed to the last extremely clean office.

Once inside, Cassian handed Talia the camera monitor. She leaned against the wall and glued her brown eyes to the screen. Cassian walked in front of the desk and searched for a piece of paper, or a sheet of any kind. He pulled one out and grabbed a pen. Thoughts fluttered through his mind as he tried to remember how the senator's handwriting looked like. His eyes closed in concentration.

Curved letters. That's how the senator wrote. Not fancy, as in cursive letters, but curved letters. It was very particular, but didn't prohibit Cassian from doing his job. He frantically wrote a few sentences, then paused. He let a few drops of ink fall onto the paper before he continued. _I finally confronted her about it. Nemai, She was going to give us up to the Emperor! I…_ He wrote a few words and scratched them out, as if the senator was in a hurry while writing. _Call off the plan. It's too dangerous._

The letters were done. Mission success.

Cassian opened the desk and pushed the letters all the way in the back. A sense of calmness washed over him. No more anxiety. No more working. His job was done. All he needed to do was leave undiscovered.

If only life were that simple.

 _Someone's coming._ A lump caught in Talia's throat. This was it. The second horrible encounter for the day. As if their luck couldn't get any worse. "The senator is coming." She rushed over to Cassian, handing him the screen; her heart beat faster and her lungs took in less oxygen. Talia tried to keep calm. There was a way out of this. There _had_ to be.

Cassian frantically searched around the room for a hiding spot of some kind. The room was too open, nothing but tables and couches. No closet. No bathroom. If they jumped out the window, who knows how long the fall was. They were trapped like deer caught in headlights. "There's nowhere to hide."

 _This has to work. It's the only non-violent way._ Talia moved the papers on the desk aside and hopped on. She unbuttoned her tunic jacket so quickly that she almost ripped off the buttons. She ruffled her hair to make it appear a little messy and tugged Cassian closer. His dark eyes widened and averted to the door. "What the hell are you doing?" He whispered in a surprised manner.

She reached up to mess up Cassian's hair. He resisted until she pulled him back with a bit of force. She took his hands and placed them on her hips. "Just go with it. This doesn't blow our cover." Out of all of the scenarios running through Talia's head, this was the only one that almost worked. They were in the capital of the galaxy. If they got caught in the middle of an espionage act, they would immediately be brought in front of the Emperor. That would _not_ end well. Talia tangled one hand in his hair and leaned forward to get close to his ear. She whispered, "Act natural. Relax your muscles. Pretend I just told you something really enjoyable."

Cassian faked the best sly smirk he could and lowered his head a bit. He closed his brown eyes as he ran his hands up her shirt a bit. Cassian was quick on his feet, but this? This was insane! This was the perfect example of why he worked alone. No need to come up with an excuse. Just pure, graphic escape. Then again, it eased his mind knowing he didn't have to kill anybody else that day.

The senator opened the door, his eyes focused on a new proposal in his hand. He smiled, but it quickly dispersed as he saw the scene before him. A shocked expression settled on his face, yet he also became slightly flustered. "G-get out of my office before I report you to the general!"

 _Almost there._ Talia hopped off the desk, buttoning up her tunic in the process. She hung her head, as if she was ashamed of herself. A fake blush crept across her cheeks, spreading some color into her complexion. "I'm sorry, sir." She left the room, Cassian hot on her heels.

The urgency to escape filled Cassian with more energy, causing him to be more alert than before. He kept his eyes forward, hands swaying at his sides. His heart rate sped up; he wanted to look around, make sure they weren't being followed, but that could tip off other Imperials as something shady. He counted to himself until they were out of the building and into the courtyard.

Cassian pulled Talia aside to an unpopulated area and whispered, "Why didn't you kill him? He could report us, and then our faces are plastered on wanted ads across the galaxy."

Talia wanted to laugh in his face, but refrained from doing so. _Not everything involves death, stoopa._ This guy was foolish. If only she could curse at him out loud in Huttese…That would only anger him more. "We did things my way. You know…the clean way."

"Clean isn't always the safest."

Talia rolled her eyes. _Safety is something spies didn't have the luxury of having._ "Why are we standing here talking, when we should be getting the hell out of here?"

"You don't understand! This mission is far bigger than both of us, and you've jeopardized it!" Cassian whispered with ferocity.

Talia couldn't contain herself and snapped at him quietly, "I understand perfectly! Would you rather be tortured and killed by the Emperor himself?" She composed herself and took a deep breath. She stared at him dead in the eye. "We aren't dead. The mission was a success. I call that a win-win," Talia shrugged off his anger and walked passed him.

Cassian grabbed her by the arm, holding her in place. He growled lowly, "I should report you to the senators."

Talia grit her teeth and turned her head to make sure he heard her. " _Go ahead_. They aren't going to do anything about it." She yanked her arm out of his tight grip and shot a glare his way. She wasn't intimidated by his threat. The most the senators would do was slap her on the wrist, and let her be on her way. Spies were needed in the field, not locked up in their rooms for something so ridiculous.

Cassian watched her walk away. He turned to depart in the other direction towards his ship, hands clenched in fists, and ground his teeth together for a few moments. Hope crossed his mind. Hope for the future. Hope that the plan actually worked. Hope that both of them had saved the rebel senators from future execution.

Cassian relaxed his tense shoulders. His hands slowly straightened out; his jaw locked in place, lips in a tight line. There was no reason to be angry. Not now.

 _At least I don't have to work with her again._


	5. Chapter 3 - Who Will You Become?

Bitterness was such a petty thing.

It always arrived hand-in-hand with memories of shame. The roughest times of Cassian's childhood were filled with both emotions.

He bit his tongue as he walked back to his Allanar N3 Light Freighter in one of the hangars on Coruscant. The mission was a success. Why did he feel so…wrong? _This is for the cause. For the Rebellion. I'm making a difference._ He tried to convince himself. He repeated it over and over in his head until the horrible feeling went away.

Captain Andor boarded his ship and closed the hatch behind him. He stripped from his Imperial garb, revealing his normal light clothing underneath. He felt lighter, less encumbered by his enemy's uniform, which felt like submission in a prison.

 _Prison._ The word echoed in his mind. He'd never been trapped in a prison, but god, something heavy inside weighed him down like one. Sometimes he'd felt as if he were drowning because of it.

The ship took off and flew out into space. Buttons lit up on the console, full of solid colors of red, blue, green, and yellow. Cassian punched a few before pushing a lever forward slowly. The stars disappeared from sight, and bright blue and white lights shone on the viewport as he pushed into hyperspace. Cassian leaned back in the pilot's chair, mind lost in a memory.

The year was 18 BBY. Only a few years had passed since that fateful day in the droid factory. Conflictions rose inside of little eight year old Cassian. His mother had unloaded a whole bucket of information on him.

Remnants of what his parents did during the early Clone Wars was a huge part of it. They fought on the side of the Confederacy, blinded to what they truly signed up for. Once Fest was yanked into the war, their eyes opened to what was really going on. Opened to what promises went unfulfilled. The people on Fest were going hungry, lost in the cold wilderness without supplies. The Confederacy promised freedom from the Republic and supplies, but neither happened. The war took, and took, but never gave them a break.

Then, the research center started cranking out more phrik supermetal, one of the few substances that could resist a Jedi's lightsaber. Their planet was being used to create something to wipe out a whole race of force wielders. Sure, Fest had a different point of view on the Jedi, but that didn't mean there should be mass genocide. Cassian's parents had enough. They devised a plan to take out the CIS once and for all.

Other remnants consisted of his new way of life. Cold, hard missions where he had to think fast before acting. The difficult truth of an animalistic, hostile nature he had to grow accustomed to.

The time was now. The new Galactic Empire reigned, only causing fear and havoc. Some planets rebelled in tiny proportions, but it wasn't enough. Other planets were on the verge of taking action, yet didn't have the guts to go through with it.

That's where Cassian's first solo mission came into play.

His mission was simple. Fan the small flame of rebellion to get more people to join the tiny cause. The Rebel Alliance was forming, but not fast enough. One of the most defining moments of Cassian's childhood started with a bomb in his hand.

Storm troopers set up a patrol in some city on a planet he couldn't name. The city's name twisted his tongue every time he tried; there were so many planets in the galaxy that his growing brain couldn't remember them all just yet.

Missions before this had all been the same. Reconnaissance. Infiltration. Raiding some of the smaller military compounds. This? This was new. Here he was, in the middle of a bustling city, about to launch a bomb at a patrol squad. There were _innocent civilians_ around. Every other mission dealt with outdated clone troopers, or the fast-paced rise of storm troopers in outposts. Morally, it was much easier to take them out.

Now, there were innocents in the way.

Cassian's fingers held on tightly to the bomb. Nothing about this felt right. If the plan worked, innocent people would get in the way and die for a cause they didn't even know about. Die for a cause that doesn't mind getting dirty, as long as they grow with more members. If the galaxy was going to survive against the Empire, deeds like this had to be done. Cassian thought he agreed with that. He really did. But now? He hesitated.

The people…god, they looked so nice. So happy. So loving. Many alien races walked amongst the humans. A lot of people had children. Others were gathered in gambling circles. Some cooked delicious smelling food, even though it probably looked disgusting. Some cheered at some holographic game. Children ran around, screaming, yelling, playing games. Cassian yearned to play along and join them, but his mission held him back.

That was something he couldn't do.

Stooping so low to kill innocent people just to fan the flames of rebellion? No. Cassian wasn't going to sign himself up for that. These were real people with lives. They were being taken advantage of by the Empire, just like the Rebels were. The Rebels just decided to do something about it.

Cassian's mind fought with him. Back and forth, between finishing the mission for the sake of his mother and saving those innocent lives. His mother meant well, but the Rebellion didn't have to be like this. It didn't have to end in collateral damage.

He took a step back.

If Cassian did this, who would he become?

The boy shoved the bomb back into his pocket. He turned his back on the patrol. Turned his back on those innocent lives. Turned his back on what the Rebels fought for because he refused to become a monster. To become something the Rebels themselves didn't want to become. They just did it because they saw no other way out.

When he wondered back to his mother, she yanked him back into the U-Wing ship and closed the door. Her nostrils flared and her icy green eyes glared down at him with such a fiery intensity. He had never seen anything like it. She yelled at him relentlessly. Snatched the bomb from his hand once he took it out. Cassian tried to tune out, but all he heard were snippets.

"Don't you know what we're fighting for?"

 _I do. But this is wrong._

More talking. "You've jeopardized this entire mission!"

 _Who are you to say who lives or dies?_

Xyrias yelled more, quiet enough to make sure no one else was listening on the outside of the ship. She looked down after exhaling deeply, setting her hands on her hips. She didn't yell this time. A welcomed change. But the words cut deeper than anything she had said earlier. "What would your father think of this, mijo?"

A metaphorical knife dove straight into little Cassian's heart. He broke his gaze from his mother and stared down at his boots. His father. Would he condone this? Murdering innocents? Would he fight against Xyrias? That's the father that Cassian knew. The way his mother said those words…it really made him doubt who his father was.

That is something he never thought he'd have to go through.

He loved his father to death, and to have the possibility of letting him down? _Again?_ Cassian couldn't bare it. His heart ached immensely and his little hands shook. A tear fell out of his teary eyes. Cassian's lip quivered as he whispered, "I'm sorry."

The ship jumped out of hyperspace, jolting Cassian out of his memory. He sat in space for a moment near Dantooine. White clouds swirled on the left part of the atmosphere on the giant green sphere. Everything seemed so peaceful up here. Down there, it was gorgeous. Cassian knew that.

He stared at the planet for a while. The feeling from the memory stuck with him. Sadness. Depression. Regret. Guilt. He felt it bubble in his system as an uncontrollable force. Cassian's lips formed a tight line, his brow furrowed. He shoved his memory aside. Shoved his emotions aside. He always did, and today was no exception.

He couldn't feel much, anyway.

Cassian flew down to Dantooine base.


	6. Chapter 4 - The Encounter

_One week later…_

The fresh air on Kuat breathed new life into Talia as she stepped foot off of the Imperial transport ship. Unlike Coruscant, the air was pleasant and clean. The winters on Kuat were cold and wet, but that didn't stop its citizens from going out and setting up merchant shops. The city of Pikula buzzed with life. Talking, laughing, yelling, children playing, all of the sounds bounced off of the buildings and broke the silent barrier of the forest all around them. Talia straightened out her Imperial uniform before relishing her surroundings.

The moderate temperature made great weather. The plains and forests that surrounded them provided the best land for live stock and flee markets. The forests deemed good for keeping hidden if one needed to. No hunting ever took place on Kuat. Most of the predatory species have either been wiped out, or deep far enough into the ocean to stay hidden. At night, the stars seemed so close, yet so far. The two moons, Bador and Ronay, lit up the night sky, almost like they wanted to steal the show away from the stars.

Talia peered up at the tall buildings that loomed over her as she walked down a crowded street. They weren't as tall or magnificent as Coruscant's, but they held a sense of pride and culture. The walls were decorated in different symbols, murals, and past rebellions; most were painted with homemade paint, and others with blood of the fallen rebels and civilians. The Empire once fought to cover all of the art; it was met with arguments until the senator stepped in. Erasing a planet's culture seemed to be the line the Empire wouldn't cross. Either that, or the senator was an expert in persuasion.

The thoughts swam around in Talia's head, clouding her attention until she reached the drop site, hidden in an alley behind a small, local watering hole. There was no questions or unwanted attention. The tavern was full of Imperial workers, too sober to go home, yet drunk enough to stay off the streets. Imperials always received dirty looks, glares, and more. Sometimes the drunk ones would get angry and start fights with the civilians. Talia hissed lowly as she exhaled, recalling some unwanted memories. Her hatred for the Empire grew every day, fueling her need for revenge even more.

The brick in the wall was easy enough to move, revealing a small pocket. Talia glanced around, observing the dimly lit alley for anyone. She was in a dark corner, barely enough sight for anyone to see from the street. The coast seemed clear enough. She dug into her pocket, and pulled out a small memory drive device. The information on the little thing provided some rather good intelligence for the Alliance.

Before she could drop it in the pocket in the wall, the nozzle of a small blaster pushed up against the small of her back. She stood up straighter, but didn't make another move. A low voice spoke up, "Who are you?"

 _That accent…I recognize it._ Talia closed her eyes, her lips forming a tight line. She never wanted to see this guy again, not after what he did. Not after what he said. This man was a fool, someone who believed killing was the only option. Working with people like that was poisonous. She responded in a calm and collected way, "You're that guy I came across the other day."

Cassian hesitated, but still kept his gun to her back. His eyebrow twitched in recognition. Her voice sounded familiar, but then again, so did everyone else he met on the street. He's been to too many places in so little time. She could've been anyone, especially an Imperial. He pushed the gun into her skin and got closer to her, lowering his voice to a more menacing tone. "How do you know that?"

"I'd know that accent anywhere." It was a unique accent. One she hadn't heard from anywhere she's ever been. "I met you last week."

 _Five days ago. Where was I? Rhen Var? Dantooine? Bespin? Coruscant…of course. She's the Rebel spy._ The Captain slowly took his blaster off her back and set it to his side, allowing the woman to turn around. _It is her._ The big brown eyes, brown hair in a bun, sleek composure, it was hard _not_ to remember, especially after the stunt she pulled. His eyebrows scrunched upwards in confusion. "Why are you in an Imperial uniform?"

"I work at the base nearby." She noticed Cassian's hand hold the gun even tighter. If he was a quick shot, she could be dead in seconds. Her heart rate skyrocketed, but she remained calm. Talia used her hands to motion him to stop as she talked, "Calm down there, cowboy. Mon Mothma assigned me to it."

A curious feeling stirred in Cassian's mind. _How did she manage to get personally assigned by Mothma? She hasn't been found out yet as a part of the growing Rebel Alliance._ That was a question to ask later. It wasn't important now. What's important now was the mission at hand. "Who's your handler?"

"Montoya Chizznov."

Cassian holstered his blaster and glanced around the alley. No one was in sight. There were too many cheers and a lot of singing coming from the inside of the bar, so it partially covered the silence. This was one hell of a drop site. Not too mysterious, and not too in the open. Talia blended in, that's for sure. Maybe Montoya did too. He continued his interrogation, "Any idea where he is?"

Talia had the urge to scoff, but held it back. Didn't he know protocol? Spies don't meet directly. There was an establishment of a drop site for a reason. The only spies that saw each other face-to-face were the ones that kept in contact with people from Rebel base, wherever that may be. She relaxed a bit and looked him in the eye. "I don't keep tabs on him. I've never met him in person."

"I got a distress call from him. Came from this planet."

"Well, I can't help you," she stated matter-of-factly. Talia crossed her arms. Being interrogated wasn't fun, but at least she wasn't being held hostage. She could leave at any time, but chose not to. Whatever that distress signal was, it wasn't good. She wasn't looking to die anytime soon over a handler she never even met.

Cassian's eyes locked on Talia's composure. Relaxed, meaning she was comfortable around him. Arms crossed was a bad sign. She had become defensive and wanted to end the conversation. He huffed in disbelief. From one Rebel spy to another, he thought she'd be willing to help. _Guess not._ "Fine. You're going to help me by staying out of the way."

"Always charming." Talia pressed her lips into a tight line. She couldn't read his expression. He had perfected his poker face, making him unreadable. Not even his tall composure gave off any signals. She looked him over and narrowed her eyes at him.

Cassian ignored her comment and traded it for his own, "I'll be your handler for the time being. You will answer to me, and me only, until I figure out where Montoya is."

An internal scream erupted within Talia's mind. This guy, whoever he was, didn't seem friendly. Plus with Montoya missing, this spy might request direct meetings instead of using the drop site. That only complicated things if they got caught. The only good thing was she knew how he worked out in the field. She could trust him with her life. She could live with that. Talia perked an eyebrow. "What's your name? Or, would you prefer I just call you _Rebel scum_ , or something?" One corner of her lips lifted at the joke, and she stifled a chuckle.

 _She thinks she's hilarious._ Cassian wanted to smile and make fun of how that was a terrible joke, but refrained from doing so. If he let loose now, she would never take him seriously. That's what he told himself, anyway. He couldn't remember the last time he joked with a handler or a rebel back at the base. He'd been gone so much and alone on missions that it was hard to remember. Cassian decided to use an alias. Better safe than sorry. "Captain Joreth Sward," he declared, holding out his hand.

"Talia Revik." She shook his hand, and left a holochip in his palm. He looked down at it curiously, and she explained short and to the point. "This is what I was going to give Montoya."

General Draven had told Cassian her name. This wasn't news to him. He half expected her to lie her way out of it, much like he had. She was too trusting, and that's what was going to get her killed. Though, he was interested in what she had to deliver. He didn't even know what she did to obtain such information. "What's on it?"

Talia stayed quiet and listened in on the environment. The singing inside the tavern had stopped. People were dispersing on the streets. It was getting later in the night where people headed home. Too many eyes. Too many ears. It was a blessing that they were hidden in the alley. She hushed her voice down to almost a whisper, "I work in droid maintenance. I take all the information on what the droids have heard or seen and put it onto this. Then, I clean it up into important bits and drop it off."

He furrowed his brow at such words. Never had he heard someone work in droid maintenance. Then again, he wasn't too sure on the number of Imperial jobs and what they were tasked with. "How do you take the information?"

"Someone has to maintain the droids. They never seem to take care of each other." She stopped crossing her arms, but moved to rub her arms instead. The night had grown chillier, and thunder roared above. That was Talia's signal to hurry it up so she could make it home before it started pouring. When it rained on Kuat, it poured heavily. "It's stored on the droid's databanks. Think of it as their memories."

Cassian scoffed quietly, almost in disbelief. "Never thought I'd see the day where Imperial droids helped us in any way." He put the holochip in his jacket's inner pocket before walking away. He didn't find out where Montoya was, but at least he had officially made progress on his mission.

Talia dropped her arms and knit her eyebrows together in confusion. _He's just going to walk away? Just like that?_ She called out to him, but not too loud, "No _thank you_?"

"I'd have to see what's on this first," he replied simply. He turned the corner out of the alley and disappeared into the mass of people on the street.

Talia scoffed and walked back to her apartment. _This is going to be more difficult than I thought._ She rubbed her arms to warm herself up. A cold chill hung in the air, causing the temperature to drop more than it already had. She listened to other people's conversations as she passed by and ignored the dirty looks from people watchers. The Imperial uniform had its downsides.

Thunder played like drums in the sky, roaring and echoing through the streets. Lightning danced across the dark clouds. Rain was imminent, but none of the people around her seemed to be bothered by it.

An unsettling feeling sunk in. She looked behind her a few times, but saw nothing out of the blue. She waved the feeling off as paranoia. Knowing her handler had gotten into some serious trouble might've caused the feeling in the first place, yet she couldn't quite confirm that. Talia felt scrutinized by a gaze; not one of an onlooker, but someone that followed her.

Something was off, and that unsettled her the most.


	7. Chapter 5 - Loose Ends

Hours had excruciatingly passed by.

Finding Montoya Chizznov was a bust.

Cassian had searched Montoya's place first. Holochips from Talia were hidden in a secret compartment in his wall. _Guess the storm troopers didn't find these._ After the first sweep, the place seemed to be clean. No hints of where he had gone, or where his captures had taken him.

Captain Andor searched the streets of Pikula twice over, questioning citizens and searching any empty buildings he came across. No one had heard of the guy before, or at least pretended not to. If anyone got taken away by the Empire, people tended to turn a blind eye.

That was something Cassian never understood. If there's something, anything, you can do to help someone, then you should do it. No questions asked. This Empire…this tyrannical government…needed to be stopped. That started with rebellion. But if you don't stand up for the little people, then what kind of person does that you?

Children rushed in front of Cassian, catching him off guard. He stopped suddenly and allowed them to pass. He grunted quietly. _Those children are so innocent. So carefree. Luxuries I didn't have._ The thoughts trailed across his mind, and a small ache pounded in his heart. Cassian exhaled quietly and continued on his journey down the street.

Eventually, he was in the outskirts of the city. Captain Andor pulled his blue coat closer to his body as a cold front moved in. The winds started to pick up, and suddenly the nice cloudy day formed into an upcoming rainstorm. _I have to find him before the storm starts._ He wandered for a while against the winds, searching for something, anything as an indication of Imperial activity.

 _Come on._

Cassian came up to an abandoned warehouse that used to store Republic luxury goods. A small symbol was carved into the door, resembling something like a TIE Fighter. He ran his fingers over it in thought for a moment before his eyes flickered to a window. He peeked in, carefully at first, until he realized he couldn't see in at all. The windows had been boarded up sometime ago.

 _I'll do this the hard way, then._

There was no way to tell how many storm troopers were inside. This was either an abandoned warehouse, or a secret base for the Imperials. Either way, he had the chance of being outgunned. Cassian considered the odds carefully, but quickly. Thunder roared above him, giving him the best cover for sneaking around. He decided to bite the bullet and infiltrate using an alternate route. The symbol had to mean something, and he was obligated to check it out.

He slipped around the back of the warehouse and observed every inch he could see through the dim sunlight. A window was open on the second floor, but climbing up that high would be a pain in the ass. The loading dock door wouldn't budge, but there was a back door on the side that looked easy enough to open.

The rebel took the latter, which was an easier route. He'd rather be safe than sorry. Dropping in from the second story window could be dangerous, and most likely give away his position. Cassian pick locked the door and succeeded after the third try.

The warehouse was large and empty. The cold atmosphere made Cassian shiver, even through his nice warm jacket. The metal walls appeared deteriorated and rusted over; the concrete floor was littered in dirt and puddles of water. Everything seemed quiet until a noise rang out from the hall to his left.

 _Must be the office area or something._ Cassian took out his blaster pistol and held it close to his chest. He scolded himself internally for removing the silencer back on Dantooine. He should've known to keep it on.

A loud interrogation was taking place in one of the offices. The closer Cassian got, the more distinct the voices became. He counted at least three bucket heads. Nothing he couldn't handle. He'd faced worse before. It reminded of his time on Rhen Var where-

Footsteps echoed down the hall.

A storm trooper was headed towards Cassian. He pushed himself against the wall, calmly waiting for the trooper to walk out of the hall. He held his blaster tightly and kept his breath steady.

One step. Two steps. Silence.

The storm trooper exited the hall and had stopped in his place. His hand lazily held his blaster rifle as he looked at nothing in particular. Cassian took this opportunity to put him into a chokehold. The trooper struggled, making short breathed gasps until he succumbed to death. The Captain slowly dragged the body out of sight of the hall.

The hard questions met Cassian's ears with more intensity as he walked closer to the origin point. He cringed, but much to his surprise, he didn't hear an answer. The hostage they had weren't talking, and a warm feeling rose up in Cassian's chest. He wasn't rescuing a traitor, and that meant a lot to him.

He hoped the hostage was Montoya, though.

The door was open, allowing him to peek in. The room was lit up nicely, revealing the bloody and sweaty man tied to the chair in the center. Three storm troopers stood around him, harshly interrogating him. They had tortured the man enough, judging by the way he looked at first glance. Their backs were turned to Cassian, allowing him to have the advantage.

Cassian shot his blaster twice, taking down one of them before he had to duck into the hall. The storm troopers shot at the wall in hopes it would pierce through. The loud noises rang in Cassian's ears, causing him to cringe. He pushed the feeling aside and whipped around the corner. He pulled the trigger one, two, three times before seeking cover. One of the two storm troopers screamed in agony and hit the ground with a thud.

"Shit…" the remaining storm trooper whispered to himself. He stepped forward, heading towards the door in a calm manner. His hands trembled as he held his rifle.

Cassian took a deep breath. He listened for the heavy footsteps as they approached the doorway. The storm trooper's blaster rifle shot out into the hall in an attempt to scare the rebel, but to no avail. Cassian stayed silent, well until he took the opportunity to shoot the Imperial scum. The bucket head fell to the ground, lifeless. The Captain stepped over the body to examine the hostage closer.

"Help m-me, p-please…" Montoya sputtered, blindly searching the room for his rescuer.

Cassian refrained from making another sound and observed the full horrific image the bucket heads put the handler through. Montoya's skin was cut up in several places, dry blood sticking to his skin like cracked clay. His fingers on one hand appeared to be broken and contorted in different ways that made Cassian's skin crawl. The man's eyes are what pained him the most. The storm troopers had blinded him with a small blade. The blood seemed pretty fresh, but it was mixed with a black substance. Poison, maybe? Cassian couldn't tell.

"Th-thank you f-for saving me."

 _You're welcome._ It wasn't every day that someone thanked him for his actions. The action almost made him feel good about himself. He responded in a soft tone, "Why did they take you?" If he responded in a soft tone rather than a harsh one, he could get more answers. That's _if_ he wanted to talk.

Montoya spit out some blood and groaned. "I'm…" He sighed heavily and hung his head in shame. "I'm…with the Rebellion." Water from his eyes, presumably tears, mixed in with the blood on his face. His chest heaved heavily as he started to sob. "I'm sorry…Tell the Rebellion I'm sorry…"

 _He told on us. That sculag…_ Cassian's expression contorted into anger, but he held his tongue. He looked at the weak minded fool in front of him, wondering how long it took before they broke him. How long did it take before he decided to give up his family? His home? The fate of the galaxy?

The pity that Cassian once had for the man vanished. His hand curled around the blaster tighter; he brought it up to the traitor's head. _Your actions have put us all in jeopardy, and yet you get a swift death. Life isn't fair._ With those thoughts trailing his mind, Cassian pulled the trigger. The once sobbing man crumpled in his seat, the blood and tears falling onto the floor beneath him like a soft rain.

Cassian backed away from the body. A grave expression quickly settled on his face. His hands were surprisingly steady and he lowered his smoking blaster. A bubbly nauseous feeling surfaced in his stomach, causing him to be unnerved. It was definitely a step up from last week when he had killed the senator. But this wasn't meant to be an accomplishment. Learning to kill with ease was something to be afraid of, and Cassian never let himself forget that.

The man had told too much. That much torturing could've subjugated him under the Empire's rule. There's no way he'd fully be loyal to the Alliance. At this point, he was more of a liability than an asset. _What I'm doing is for the greater good. For the survival of the Alliance. For hope._ Cassian reminded himself.

If Montoya gave any information to the Empire, that would mean Talia would be next.

Cassian pushed his sick feeling aside, and focused on getting to Talia's place undetected.

Talia Revik unlocked her door with ease and stepped inside. Her mind screamed for rest, and the bags under her eyes agreed. Sleep sounded so delightful.

Well…until she noticed there was a dim light on in the other room. She pulled out her blaster pistol as quietly as she could, and slowly turned the corner. Her eyes darted around the living room until she found her target. Once she noticed who it was, she immediately lowered her blaster. "How do you know where I live?"

Cassian sat in one of the living room chairs comfortably, back slouched and legs wide open. When he noticed Talia, he let out an internal sigh of relief. Command wouldn't chew him out for losing another operative in the field. He sat up to a more formal position, back straight and legs closed. He had to be on his guard now. He spoke up softly, as if people were listening in on them, "Followed you the night we met."

Talia ignored how creepy that comment sounded and placed her blaster on the table next to her. _I would have told him where I was staying. This is getting more dangerous by the minute._ She hoped, and almost prayed, that he wasn't a double agent. His loyalties seemed to be with the Alliance, but having this much information on Talia came off as shady to her.

She was playing with fire the more she talked to him. "What are you doing here? People could've noticed you," Talia growled as she dropped her bag of tools onto the ground. "I _never_ have people over. Don't you know how dangerous that is?"

"Maybe that's why your home reeks of loneliness…" his voice trailed off, not realizing he said that out loud. Her home felt a lot like his. Cold. Bland. Empty of many personal things. These days, he considered his ship his home. He was constantly travelling without a break. It took a toll on him, but what was he supposed to do? Say no to missions from his superiors? Take a break from trying to take down the Empire? Over his dead body.

Talia grit her teeth in anger. _Did he really just say that?_ She pointed her finger and warned him, "I'm ten seconds away from kicking you out." She glared at him with a fiery intensity, and her words only threw more gasoline into the fire, "Don't make me repeat myself."

It didn't take him any time to notice her hostility. Cassian stayed calm and collected, his winning poker face glued to his expression. He ignored her threat for a moment and got up to look out the window cautiously. His fingers brushed the curtains, but quickly put them back in place when he saw nothing out of the ordinary. "I needed to check up on you. Make sure you weren't followed."

 _What? Did someone find out my true loyalties? There's no way._ Talia bit her lip in thought. Her insides twisted in fear. If the Empire _had_ found out, they would be on their way right now. She would be executed as a traitor by Darth Vader himself, or worse, the Emperor. Talia's eyebrows knit together in confusion; she lowered her voice to almost a whisper, "Followed? Why would I be followed?"

Might as well tell her the bitter truth. No need to sugar coat it. If it'll fuel her anger towards the Empire, then all is well. Cassian turned to her and left the view of the window. He took a seat and watched her carefully. He wanted to see her reaction and prove if it was genuine or not. "I found your handler. He was tortured and killed. I thought if he gave up any information, you'd be next."

Talia's face fell instantly. She closed her eyes and cursed under her breath. _Tortured and killed...Poor Montoya._ Even though she didn't know the man, it was hard not to care. She wouldn't wish that death on anyone. The Empire took too much from everyone already. Torturing and killing someone? That's like stripping away someone's dignity until they wish to die. She kept her focus on the conversation to remain strong in front of the rebel. "You actually care? Surprising."

Her reaction seemed genuine, but still a little off. She hid her eyes, which usually was considered a telltale sign of lying. Then again, she just lost her handler, a member of the Rebel Alliance. With so few numbers already, it was hard to handle losses. Now her life was in jeopardy. Cassian glared at her after his brain registered her words. "What makes you say that?"

She opened her brown eyes and huffed. "Well, to start, you have trust issues. Remember the first time we met? You wouldn't let me do my job alone."

"It's called being cautious and tactical."

"You also don't give off this friendly vibe." Talia leaned against one of the chairs to lift some weight off of her aching feet. She loved challenging this man to see what he was made of. It was the only real social interaction she's had in a while, other than answering to her boss.

"Neither do you." The words were clear. Precise. A stab in Talia's ego that didn't really bother her. Yet, the words were true.

The truth almost brought a small smile to her face. It wasn't everyday that people told the truth to your face. It felt like a breath of fresh air, refreshing and delightful. Talia remarked, mocking his stern tone, "I'm posing as an Imperial worker. Do I really need to be friendly?"

She proved a point. Cassian took note of her wittiness and placed it in the mental file with her name on it. Every bit of information she gave could be useful in the future. He almost huffed, but held back, and grudgingly admitted, "Point taken." Cassian paused for a second and stated with sincerity, "I'm here because it's my mission to keep this operation running. If you die, it's on me."

"Wow, you really know how to charm a girl." Talia smiled at the comment, even through her sarcastic tone. _The Captain does have a heart after all…or maybe he's just watching his own back. Either way, he has to care._

That reply earned a scoff from Andor, "If I were trying to charm you, I would succeed." He was a little rusty. He could admit that. But if he were really trying? He would definitely win in the end. He smiled faintly for a second, and it disappeared just as quick as it formed. It was the first time he had smiled genuinely in a long time.

"Overly confident. Nice touch." Talia rustled her hair a bit and thought about what to do. There was no point in kicking him out. Having him there ensured her safety, or at least gave her a better chance of survival. "You're welcome to stay here, if you'd like. _I_ am going to sleep." When met with silence from the Captain, Talia studied him for a moment. _I can trust him._ She pulled out a holochip from her pocket and set it on the table in front of him. "Here's the information I've collected today. If you're bored, you can sift through it."

Cassian stayed quiet. There was nothing more to say. He _had_ found useful information on the last one, though. He bit the inside of his cheek as he mulled it over. _Maybe I should say thank you._

By the time he snapped out of his thoughts, Talia had already gone to her room and shut the door, leaving him to nothing but silence.


	8. Chapter 6 - Lo Extraño

_12 BBY_

Rain pounded against the hard rock canyon below. Fog hung low close to the ground of the canyon, clouding over the images of the training dummies. The dummies were tied down with heavy rocks, and could only be seen with night vision scopes or quadnocs. The starry night sky had been covered by dark, stormy clouds. The harsh wind pushed against Cassian as he stayed low to the ground. He grasped his sniper rifle tightly, making his knuckles turn a ghostly white.

"Breathe normally. Steady your grip," his mother, Xyrias, instructed loudly over the howling noises. She knelt down beside him, observing his composure. They had been practicing for hours. It went from hand-to-hand combat to sniping practice dummies.

Cassian felt more confident with a blaster in his hand, rather than physical fighting. It was something about the control he had that soothed him. Physical fighting was too unpredictable.

The training dummies swayed back and forth, making the young Rebel's job much more difficult. _Focus. Pretend the dummies are the droids that killed Papa._ Cassian thought to ease his mind. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, slowly releasing the death grip he had on his gun. The plasma cartridge was full. He was in position. All he had to do was pull the trigger.

The images of that day came into view. Them running. The droidekas hot on their tail. The way his father looked at them as he shut the door. The blaster shots firing. He locked that image into his brain and started to shoot. The dummies down below jerked to the side, giving Cass the chance to shoot them before the wind tossed them to the other side. His father's last words echoed in his mind. _Go, my loves._

Tears fell from Cassian's eyes onto his cheeks. _This is for you, Papa. You'll be proud of me, wherever you may be._ He shot round after round. Anger and loss swept up inside him, mixing together in a deadly concoction. Cassian reloaded bitterly, and pushed himself to keep going.

 _I'll make sure I can save the ones I love. I don't want to disappoint them like I did you._ His hand swept down to the trigger in one fast move. He fired his weapon, pushing down the trigger harshly. The wind pushed harder against him and the dummies, but he would not give in. He was soaked from head-to-toe from the rain, and his body temperature dropped, but the warmth from his emotions distracted him. His face felt hot. Too hot. Cassian shot two, three more times until the dummies were nothing but sticks. Even when the clip ran out, he clicked the trigger over and over, yearning to shoot more.

"Stop," his mother ordered. The storm calmed, and all that was left was a calm wind and light rain. The clouds were lighter in color, but still filled the sky fully.

Cassian set his head against the scope on the rifle for a moment, hiding his tears from his mother. Crying was a sign of weakness. He knew better than letting things get to him…But this was about his father, a wound that hadn't healed. It had scabbed over, and he kept picking at it like a vulture.

Xyrias saw right through him and observed his pain. Through her hard training and efforts to make him one of the best soldiers the Rebels had, she failed to care for the salt in his emotional wound. They hadn't talked about what happened to his father since it happened eight years ago. Sure, she mentioned Kylath here and there, but mostly to motivate her son.

The motherly nature that had been smothered by her anger and discipline started to rise up from the ashes. She set her hand gently on Cassian's back and said in a soothing voice, "Let me see those adorable brown eyes."

 _They aren't adorable._ Cassian snapped back in his mind. He was fourteen, not a child. Nonetheless, he raised his head from its resting position. _This_ was his mother. He remembered the real her vaguely. The one that cared. The one who said she loved him every night before bed. The one who made his favorite food, Endwa, for dinner every weekend. _She_ was back. It may be for a glimpse of a moment, or a few minutes. Either way, he was going to accept this moment of care and love.

Xyrias smiled softly at the sight of Cassian's face. It was still young, but hardened from training. Cuts lined his left cheek, and a bruise formed on his neck. His face was red and hot, despite the cold weather conditions. His reddened, brown eyes screamed of pain and innocence. Her training hadn't broken him, but he was on the verge of tipping over. "¿Que esta mal, mi hijo?"

 _What's wrong? Everything, Mama. I've trained. I've hurt innocent people to jump start a rebellion. I've killed. Everything is wrong. I'm not a good person._ As much as he wanted to scream those words out loud, he held himself back. He didn't want to talk to his superior that way, even if she was his mother. She cared right now. Saying all of that could make her revert back into mentor mode. He mustered up his voice and replied with deep sadness, "Lo extraño."

Xyrias' smile fell instantly. She hesitated before holding out her arms to him. He reluctantly scooted over to his mother and welcomed her embrace. Xyrias' arms wrapped around her frail son. She sighed, knowing exactly how he felt. "I know, mijo. I miss him too," she responded. With complete sincerity, she admitted in the most quiet voice, "Your father would be proud, Cassian." She wrapped her arms around him tighter and kissed his head. Cassian almost sobbed at those words, no matter how untrue he thought they were.

For the longest time, they just sat there in each other's arms mourning for the loss of their loved one, but also the loss of their mother-son connection.

 _Present Day…_

Cassian snapped out of his sleepy stupor, quickly taking in his surroundings. Most of the furniture consisted of dark colors, both metallic and variations of black. The walls were gray, and the floor was a soft white carpet. A hot sensation swept up his spine, adding temperature to the cold sweat that controlled his body. He wiped his clammy hands on his pants, inhaling and exhaling as quietly as he could. The memory brought up old feelings of anguish and depression.

He brushed the sweat off his brow before moving towards the window. He peeked through the closed blinds, searching for anything suspicious. The street mongers that were once there disappeared. A couple of Drebins roamed down the street. They were far from home, considering there wasn't much plant life they could feed off of in the city. It was too late at night for people to be hanging around, especially near the Imperial housing.

If Talia _was_ being followed, the bounty hunter sure took a long while to finish the job.

Cassian dragged his hand down his face as he tiptoed over to Talia's door. He checked up on her and made sure her window was firmly shut. He glanced over the dimly lit room illuminated by a bedside table lamp. Closet door shut. Bed too narrow to hide under. Corners of the room were lit up enough to see. The room was clear.

Cassian peered at Talia for a moment. Talia slept in the fetal position, knees drawn up to her chest. Her brown hair covered half her face, while the rest acted as a waterfall on the pillow. One hand tucked under her pillow, probably holding onto a blaster pistol of some kind. Her other hand draped across a small open book.

She had fallen asleep looking through an old photo album. Couldn't have been more than ten years old. From his position, all he could see were two smiling faces, but couldn't make out who the second person was. A part of him wanted to take a closer look, but the other ushered him against it. _That's none of my business. I'm not here to gain information to use against her._ Cassian walked out of her room, closing the door behind him as he did.

He wandered around the small apartment for a while. The goal was to stretch his legs, yet he couldn't help but to analyze what kind of person Talia was. Clean. Maybe purposely disorganized to show she's not _too_ clean. Too clean gave off a whiff of suspicion. Too watchful. Something a spy should avoid, especially in deep Imperial territory.

Cassian hated it. The semi-perfection spies were supposed to uphold. Their mission was difficult enough, and not getting caught was icing on the cake. Being clean wasn't an option in a lot of situations. Yet, Talia found a way. She barely managed to come up with a good plan, but in the end, they got out of the senator's office in one piece. She impressed Cassian. Showed him not all situations end in someone's death.

That was a rare occasion.

General Draven would be quite surprised to find out someone had impressed the intelligence officer.

The night dragged on. Cassian got lost in thought as he walked around the place, blindly following a trailed path he had made at least a dozen times. Through the kitchen, to the living room, to the doorway, and back. Soon, the sun rose, allowing light to enter through the cracks of the blinds. He sat down on the chair next to the window, opened the blinds, and watched the sun rise into the sky.

It was gorgeous. The reds, pinks, and oranges dashed across the sky, blending together as if it were being painted there. This was the first time in a year or so Cassian got to admire a sunrise. He'd been so busy flying back and forth between planets that he hadn't gotten to relax and enjoy life. His tired brown eyes fixated on the sky, imagining what it would be like to fly his ship through the colorful clouds.

Talia's footsteps rose from the kitchen. She walked into the living area, fully dressed in her Imperial uniform. She fidgeted with putting her gloves on when she looked at him curiously. "Did you stay up _all_ night?"

Cassian didn't move his eyes from the sight outside. How could he? He was in a daze from lack of sleep and the exhaustion in his muscles. His mouth barely moved as he questioned in a low tone, "Does it matter?"

"Thank you for the protection, _Captain_ , but you really need to sleep. I fixed the bed, but feel free to use it."

"I don't need to," he replied sharply.

Talia laughed shortly in response. She motioned to his eyes, "Says the person with bags under his eyes."

Cassian turned away from the sunset to look at her with a blank expression. He stood up and fixed his brown Corellian-cut field jacket. "I have to leave today, but I should be here before you come back."

"Where are you going?"

He wanted to scoff. To tell her she wasn't able to know. To tell her this was way above her pay grade. To tell her to stop asking questions that shouldn't be answered. He settled with a simple sentence, "None of your business."

"You're a man of few words." She adjusted herself and brushed out the creases in her outfit. "Did you check the drive?" Cassian nodded. Short. Quiet. Simple. Talia looked at him, waiting for something more. "Find anything useful?"

"Not much."

Talia couldn't read his face. It was as blank as white canvas. She rolled her eyes at his secrecy. It's not like he had anything to worry about. Her life was on the line here. If she needed a back up plan, she'd rather know his location so she could flee to it. At least then she'd have more of a chance of surviving. "I'm leaving."

Cassian didn't say anything and let her leave for work in silence.


	9. Chapter 7 - Off by a Hair

This plan was incredibly risky, but smart enough to work.

Cassian carefully adjusted himself in the Imperial cargo truck. He was uncomfortably tucked between a crate of explosives and a crate of freshly picked imported Calarantum. The truck rattle as it trekked over the hard, swampy terrain of planet Imdaar in the Dreighton Nebula. They were headed to the Imperial supply base stationed here.

General Draven had the utmost confidence in his star Intelligence Officer. Cassian didn't want to put too much emphasis on the success rate of this mission, but he would sure as hell give it his all.

The plan wasn't as intricate and safe as he had hoped, but if he succeeded, it would delay the Empire in numerous areas across the galaxy. The supply base sent out cargo ships full of weapons, ammunition, and food. Captain Andor's job was to sabotage the ships in such a subtle way that the pilots wouldn't notice until it was too late. Then, make it out of the base without dying.

 _If things go south, just remember. This is for the Rebellion. This is to secure the galaxy's freedom._ Cassian reassured himself. He waited patiently as the journey went on, slow and agonizing. The anticipation built up inside of him and mixed with uncertainty. _I've done worse missions with this. Those had less chances of survival._ His eyes focused on the crate in front of him. The missions came to mind slowly, like the mission on Ando Prime where he almost froze to death, or the time on Chaaktil where he traveled across its deserts, barely clinging onto life. The planet's inhabitants, or at least he couldn't remember which species, took him in, but almost killed him in his daring escape. Other missions sprang up in his mind, but the truck jerked to a stop.

They were here.

Cassian waited patiently and closed his eyes. He put all of his focus on his hearing. The metal crates stayed still after the truck stopped. The engine ceased, causing the parts of the truck to creak and groan as it settled. Other vehicles could be heard driving off of the base, but none came in. The storm troopers that drove the truck hopped out and made their way towards the rear doors. They chattered about some new regulations the Empire enforced, but it was nothing important to use against them.

Cassian ran his hands along the inside of the explosive crate, and set up a small bomb. Once it was set, he buried it among the rest of the inactive bombs. He stayed tucked between the crates when the bucket heads opened the doors. They viewed the inventory, and then proceeded to go get a cargo loader to put it on. Cassian took the chance and hopped out of the cargo truck. He pressed up against the metal as he surveyed the area.

An informant had surveyed the area previously on a separate mission. Cassian knew the layout vaguely, but knew where to go to reach the airships. That's all that mattered. The surrounding area was empty of life. _I guess the informant was right._ They had stated that only few troopers were stationed here. The rest were sent to Imdaar Alpha, the moon in the planet's orbit. Rebel intelligence has records of a research base there, but couldn't pinpoint the location. It was as if it were invisible to the human eye.

He made his way cautiously to the landing platforms for the airships. A few TIE Fighters were hooked up to stations nearby. It must've kept the ship's diagnostics shown in real time on the base's computers. Cassian put his arm up to shield his eyes when he came in contact with direct sunlight. A heavy air pushed down on him, and the humidity finally sank in.

It only reminded him of how much he _hated_ hot, humid planets.

He pushed the feeling aside and focused on the mission at hand. He ducked behind a TIE Fighter's wing as he looked around. There was one mechanic working on one of the ships with an ion torch. A few troopers patrolled the area, but stopped so often to talk that it almost seemed impossible for them to actually catch him.

Cassian worked his way to one of the two Zeta-class cargo shuttles, which weren't plugged in to the landing pad. They must've been prepped to leave already. Two cargo shuttles didn't seem to be a lot for this outpost, but if that's all they had on hand, then it would suffice. As long as he locked onto the cargo shuttles' hyperdrive system and tweaked it a bit, that's all that was needed to complete the mission. The TIE Fighters would lock onto the Zeta's hyperdrive coordinates and follow them straight into the asteroid belt, or as Cassian referred to them as the jaws of death. The pilots would have no time to think before they were jerked out of hyperdrive and driven right into an asteroid.

That's what General Draven hoped, at least. He would confirm how many ships actually crashed later back at Dantooine base.

Cassian hopped up onto the pilot's deck of the ship using the ladder. He sprinted towards the console and crouched underneath it. He unhooked the metal plating to reveal wires and different technology that helped power the ship in different ways. His hands worked fast as he clipped a few wires and strung them together. When he was done, he put the metal plating back on just like he had found it and started to poke around on the hyperdrive's map. _I hope this works._ He had never reset a hypderdrive's map, so changing the coordinates by a hair seemed a bit risky. A buddy of his showed him how to do it before Cassian left, but it was so different on his own.

Captain Andor calmed himself by exhaling and curling his fingers up for a moment. _This has to work._ He pushed a few buttons and set new coordinates for the asteroid field. In order to get to the planets the shipments were to be sent to, they would have to go around the asteroid field. This would put them directly in it.

He turned the console off when he was done and wiped his fingerprints off of the screen. His fingers twitched towards his hidden blaster as he exited the cargo ship, but refrained from coming in contact with it. _No need to get worked up. Focus._

Cassian headed towards the second ship and did the same thing he did to the first one. The storm trooper patrol had gone inside for lunch, and a new one hadn't come out yet. This seemed like the perfect time to head out. He snuck around the ships and started to make his way towards the swampy jungle. His ship wasn't too far away. It was an Imperial ship on the outside, so it would draw no suspicion for it to be out here.

"Stop right there," a man called out.

 _Damn._

Cassian stopped in his tracks. The urge to reach for his blaster heightened, but he knew better than that. He needed to turn around to see the man. He needed to be observant of his surroundings. Maybe this guy had a weapon. Maybe he didn't.

Either way, he was a dead man.

"Who are you?" the man questioned. He stepped closer and closer until he could put a hand on Cassian's shoulder, forcing him to turn around.

Cassian whipped around and punched the guy in the jaw. The guy didn't stumble back, rather started swinging himself, flailing his arms around at the rebel. Cassian dodged a few punches, and sent back a few of his own. He heard a small, whoosh sound as the man swung, and that's when Cassian realized that he had a blade.

The man tackled Cassian and both hit the ground hard. Cassian gasped, but tried to continue fighting. The man tried to shove the blade inside Cassian's abdomen, but the rebel pushed his hand upwards. The Imperial mechanic pushed down with both hands and all his strength, retaliating against Cassian's efforts. Cassian grunted in pain as the blade sunk into his skin like a sharp tooth. The Captain gave up on resisting and punched the man in the jaw, sending him to the side. Cassian snapped up as quickly as he could and fired his blaster at the man's head, causing him to go limp.

 _Damnit all!_

A searing pain soared up his side as he bled. The wound wasn't too deep, but deep enough to need stitches. He grabbed the small detonator out of his pocket and switched the button. The cargo truck inside the compound exploded, immediately setting off the alarms of the facility.

The noise was loud enough to cover Cassian's escape. He sprinted towards his ship, and within minutes, he was turning on the hyperdrive on the course for Kuat. He rested against the pilots chair for a moment before he reached over for something to soak up the blood from his wound. His hand came in contact with an unwashed shirt, and he pressed it against his wound.

He winced from the pain, and he turned on the message transmitter on the console. The operator put him on hold until General Draven was present. Cassian reported in, "Mission…success, sir." He huffed a few times and creased his brow as a reaction to the pain in his side.

General Draven seemed pleased, "Good work, Captain Andor. Reports have shown several Imperial casualties in the asteroid field. I will have a new mission for you soon."

Cassian ended the transmission and closed his eyes for a moment. He wasn't sure how long he was gone. He wasn't sure if he could reach the apartments without attracting suspicious looks from the public. All he knew was he had to get to Talia's apartment to clean this wound. He used up the medical supplies in his ship on the last few missions, so he had nothing on hand. He made a mental note to change that once he had time.

He opened his eyes when the ship stopped in front of the green planet of Kuat. Cassian sighed and fumbled with the controls as he got ready to land in one of the hangars closest to Talia's home. A recorded transmission popped up on his console, but he didn't have time to view it. It would have to wait until he was patched up.

Cassian stumbled out of his ship, but tried to keep himself steady and upright without slouching over. The hangar was almost quiet, for it was dark outside. A few people hung around their ships as they made repairs, but other than that, the hangar was empty. Cassian was grateful for different planet day durations.

He walked out onto the streets, keeping his eyes low, and glancing around every so often. It wasn't late in the night like he had hoped, but late enough for the kids to be off the streets. Some people were getting off of work and heading to the bars or clubs. Most were on their way home to get some needed rest.

Cassian thoughts clouded over as he felt his shirt was soaked to the brim with blood. He cringed and fumbled with Talia's door with his clean hand. _Open. Come on._ He thought impatiently. The door finally opened and he let out a short breath. He went inside and closed the door quickly before making his way to the kitchen. He grabbed clean towels and pressed them up against his wound as he searched for a medical kit.

The thought of going to a medical center crossed his mind. His wound would heal much faster if he got proper treatment. He shook his head in response. _Too risky._ He opened the medical kit once he found it. His shaky hands searched the kit, making a complete mess of things.

The front door clicked shut, and Cassian heard Talia drop her things. She followed the small trail of blood to the kitchen and looked at Cassian in disbelief. Her mouth hung open a bit, brown eyes wide in shock. _He's dirtying up my spotless floor._ She remarked, "Jesus, Sward, can you make any more of a mess?"

Cassian almost forgot he told her one of his aliases. That would have been a major slip up, and he would've blamed it on his clouded mind from blood loss. He growled lowly in pain, "Excuse me fo-" He cut short and groaned as he cleansed his wound. He pushed the cloth with more pressure and clenched his jaw to muffle his signs of pain.

"Do you need help?" Talia moved around the blood trail and to the medical kit to search through the mess he had made. "You know you're going to clean this mess up, right?"

Cassian grunted in response and moved her hands aside as he took over the search forcefully. "I got it." He grabbed a needle and some thread, and released the towels from his grasp. He let them slide onto the floor in one bloody heap.

 _The nerve of this rebel, I swear._ Talia narrowed her eyes and took a step back. He trailed blood in her home, which was incredibly hard to get out completely, and then doesn't allow her to help. She couldn't tell if he was stubborn or just so self-sufficient that he believed he didn't need the help of anyone. One question came to mind. "Are you always this distant?"

"Only when I'm talking to someone who works for the Empire," Cassian said wittingly. He glanced up at Talia with his dark, tired eyes to see her reaction. She glared at him, causing Cassian to chuckle a bit. " _It's like you've never heard a joke before_."

Surprise swept over Talia's features. She didn't think he would even remember what she said to him that day they met on Coruscant. A part of her wanted to compliment him on his memory. The other part wanted to reply with something snarky. She settled with something simple, "I think you and I have two very different definitions of the term _joke_."

Cassian stayed quiet, a small sly smile glued to his lips as he patched himself up. It was the second time he's smiled in a long time, and lasted longer than the last. It felt so good to smile again, and over a joke, not something he had to fake. He bandaged himself with unsteady hands. After he had finished with the stitches, he didn't care how he bandaged himself. It didn't matter. All that mattered was the bleeding had stopped for now.

Talia reached into some cupboards and took out some cleaning supplies. She set them on the counter in front of Cassian, and made sure he saw it. She wiped her hands on her dirty, oily Imperial suit and nodded towards him. "Are you going to go back out, or are you going to rest up until you're healed?"

Cassian raised his eyebrows at the sight of the cleaning supplies. He thought she was kidding with the whole cleanup thing. Just another thing he had to do, unless he could guilt her into doing it. He focused on one topic at a time, and responded to her, "You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm curious." She watched him intently. If he were to stay, she'd help take care for him until he healed. It was the least she could do. His expression would tell it all, or at least she hoped it did. He lost enough blood to make him a little less focused.

Cassian's smile fell; his signature spy expression settled over his features. "Curiosity will get you killed."

Talia huffed, the corners of her lips curling up into a small grin. She licked her teeth for a brief moment before she thought of something to say back. Something that would make him think. Something to make him consider about himself. "Is it not the same for you?"

She was right. Cassian didn't want to admit it to her face, but she was. He was curious about a lot of things. Stars. Other galaxies. New technology. Alien species. How people could enjoy a regular life. He wondered if he would ever get to as well. Cassian disregarded her question and remembered back to the unread transmission. "I need to go back to my ship."

Talia stepped in front of him before he could leave the kitchen. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at him in defiance. "In your condition? No way."

"I'm fine." Cassian tried to move to the side, but Talia copied him. He stared down at her and clenched his jaw. His wound ached, but he tried to push that aside to not show weakness in front of her. That would only support her opinion. "I'm waiting for a transmission. An important one."

 _He really thinks he can go without me? That's dangerous for him. Any Imperial could see him and assume the worst. If he fights with them, they'd kill him on the spot. Then the Rebellion is without one of its Captains._ That was something Talia couldn't live with on her conscious. Knowing she could've saved a bit of everything she's worked towards would destroy her. It could destroy the Rebellion. Talia stayed in front of him and demanded in resolve, "I'll go with you then."

Cassian's expression lightened up in slight surprise. He thought she would stick to her guns and make him rest up until he was healed. She's more active and supportive of rebel activities than he thought. Then again, he needed to protect her. There still could be a bounty hunter out there waiting to kill her. Surely the Imperials would act on the information they received from her handler. Cassian nodded. "Good because you were going to go with me whether you liked it or not."


	10. Chapter 8 - The Tyranny

Talia had changed out of her Imperial uniform into casual winter clothes. Dark pants, a thick red jacket in case it started to rain, and a signature soft gray Kuat scarf. Her uniform would draw too much attention, especially since they're going to a hangar bay where non-Imperial ships were located.

Cassian still ached all over; his wounds stung and tugged at the stitches. He forced the feeling away. He's had worse injuries. If his mother saw him now, she would say the same. The mission was ore important than his health. All they had to do was make it to the ship without being caught in order to find out what the objective was.

Talia held onto Cassian's arm to keep him upright. He stumbled every so often, giving others the impression that he was drunk. It was a good cover. No one would suspect much, or see the dark blood stain underneath his jacket.

She wondered if all his missions ended like this. Were they full of excitement? Adventure? Maybe it was adrenaline inducing. Heart rate increasing. Heavy breathing. Running. Shooting. Trying to escape alive. A part of her wanted to experience that. The other part, the deep-rooted insecurity about what had happened to _her_ ,… God. She couldn't even think of _her_ name without putting herself through unwanted pain. It was unwanted, yet it was her drive. Taking down the Empire meant so much if she were avenging _her_.

The mechanics from earlier were still in the hangar, and glanced over as they took their break. Cassian chuckled faintly, a fake smile plastered onto his face. He had to keep up the act, at least for his sake. They entered his Allanar N3 Light Freighter and closed the door behind them.

The ship was small, but had enough space in the cargo hold below. A bag of clothes was open, and a few articles of clothing were strewn about on the ground around it. Messy wrappers littered the floor. He had no time for cleanliness when he had a mission to complete. Ahead of them were two chairs for a pilot and a copilot. The dashboard lit up when Cassian turned the battery on. He collapsed into the pilot's chair and started pushing buttons.

Talia stood behind him, watching his every move. _No rest for the wicked._ She thought, and almost laughed out loud at the fact that the Alliance to Restore the Republic was wicked in a way. Cassian killed somebody in front of her before, and she was sure that wasn't the only time. The Rebellion took lives as they see fit. If it came down to it, and there was no way out, she'd have to kill too. Talia wasn't looking forward to that.

Cassian put on the communications headset and started the recorded transmission.

A voice came through his headphones, one that Cassian had known all too well. The famous rebel pilot Captain Raymus Antilles. He'd been known to carry out incredible successful wins for the Alliance, especially with a limited number of team members. Now, he was reaching out to Cassian for help. "Captain Andor, this message is being relayed to you using an encoded transmission channel. The Alliance needs your help in completing this mission."

Antilles continued with confidence, "It's time to retire those old Z-95s! The Alliance received an encoded transmission from Incom Corporation saying they have newly built prototype ships ready to go. They don't want to be tied to this in any way, or the Emperor would have their heads, so we're going to make it seem like we're infiltrating the facility. I'm sending you the facility's map now. These T-65 starfighters can handle anything the Empire can throw at us!" There was a pause, and a heavy grief was detected in the pilot's voice, "Our pilots never made it to Fresia. The last message that I received from them detailed the discovery of the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer _Tyranny_ in orbit around the planet."

 _A Star Destroyer? Above Fresia? What for? They don't need that much security, do they?_ Cassian ran through the different exports and imports that were taken through the planet, but he could only name a few. What was really going on there? His curiosity peaked, increasing his interest in this mission.

The transmission continued. "I'm taking my team to Wayland to get codes. Those codes are the only way you and your team are going to pass the Imperial blockade around Fresia. The _Tyranny_ will be lured away from your destination, allowing you to get passed without a second glance. There is a task force waiting on planet Frellor. They're ready to infiltrate the facility. All that matters is you joining the fight. Once we get the landing codes, go pick them up, and jump to Fresia. Get the X-Wings. Get out. I know you have important matters to attend to, but we're incredibly low staffed. This is our only chance to take the opportunity." A few voices muttered in the backgrounds, but the static overshadowed them. "We're landing. The mission starts at midnight Kuat time. See you on the other side." The transmission ended, and Cassian set his headphones aside.

All of this information processed in Cassian's mind. He only had one choice: fight. If he didn't take action, the plan would surely fail. No one else was onboard on such short notice. This could turn the tide for the Rebellion. X-Wings, imagine that! Rebel pilots flying ships that could withstand a successful space battle. The Rebel leaders would greatly appreciate Cassian's involvement in such endeavors on short notice.

He checked the time. _23:35. The mission starts in less than half an hour._ With resolve, Cassian turned his gaze to Talia. His face was stern, and he spoke as if he were giving orders to his subordinates back at the base, "You're coming with me."

Talia furrowed her brow. She hadn't heard a thing from that transmission. Going in blind wasn't an easy option for her. She questioned, "What? To where?" She internally sighed. She had the next few days off, so she thought she'd be able to kick back and relax. Of course something had to pop up just in the knick of time.

Cassian dismissed her question with a wave of his hand. "It's not important. Can you fly?"

"I'm not going unless I know what I'm doing." Talia stood her ground. Fighting for the Rebellion was one thing, but not knowing what she was walking into was another. She could be waltzing right into the place where she dies! Risking her life for the cause meant so much, but shedding a little light on the mission never hurt anyone. _Do other rebels blindly follow orders without knowing the full situation?_

"It's classified." He grit his teeth. He had no patience at the moment. They had to get into the air _now_. This mission needed to be successful, and there was no way it would happen if they sat here chatting. "Now are you coming willingly or not?"

Classified…and way above her pay grade. Cassian's mood changed so quickly, from joking and light to his old commanding self, causing Talia to think it must've been really important news. She mulled it over in the span of a few short moments. It sounded important, so maybe it was worth the risk. As long as she followed Cassian, she wouldn't be completely left to the wolves on the battlefield. She knew how to fight, but she's never been physically in the middle of a big battle. She was a spy, not a regular combatant. _There are worse ways to spend a weekend._ She nodded to him and replied, "I'm a mediocre pilot, though."

"You'll be my copilot. You control the laser cannons." He motioned over to the copilot's controls.

"Great. You going to make aiming difficult for me?" She laughed a bit as nervousness crept up on her. "I don't know how many ships I'll be able to take down."

Cassian started the ship's engine and put the headset back on. He clicked a few more buttons to read the status of all the parts of the ship. "Let's make this interesting then. I'll bet fifty credits you won't be able to hit an enemy ship." Hey, if he could make a little money on the side _and_ have fun, that'd be an added bonus. Plus, it'd be something to look forward to. Sometimes little rewards were great.

Talia narrowed her eyes and launched imaginary daggers at his back. If this was a challenge, she'd greatly accept it just to prove him wrong. "Watch me, Joreth." She sat down in the copilot's chair next to him, and looked over the controls for future reference.

That's when something panged in Cassian's mind. Was it paranoia? He might not respond to the name in battle, so it might be a precaution. Maybe it was guilt. Lying to Talia when she had been nothing but honest felt…wrong. He looked at her with his dark eyes and quietly added, "My real name is Cassian Andor."

"You didn't trust me enough to know your real name? Are you even a captain?"

"I'm a captain…I didn't think I'd communicate with you for this long." Talia was too trusting in telling her real name to someone she hadn't known long. In this time…saying your real name to a spy was like signing your death certificate. They could give her up, and then her name would be plastered all across the galaxy on wanted holograms. He continued with sincerity, "You're going into battle with me. I want you to know the truth now, rather than learn it later from another rebel."

Talia admitted to herself that his action was smart. If she got caught by the Empire, she wouldn't know his name. He covered his tracks. She couldn't blame him for doing that, especially since she worked for the Empire. She didn't glance over at him, and focused her eyes on the viewport in front of them. Words danced on her vocal cords, waiting to be said, but she forced them all down and spoke softly, "Thank you."

 _That_ was a pleasant surprise. Cassian watched her expression in curiosity to see what she was thinking. Her face was a blank slate, and almost unreadable. He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "You aren't mad?"

Yes. No. All the above? She didn't really know. Talia shook her head and concluded, "No. I understand why you did it, Cass."

Cassian cringed and shot back, "Don't call me _Cass_."

"Is that an order, or does it bother you?" Talia smiled as he grumbled under his breath. She listened for a reply, but when he was silent, she continued, "No. Yes? I'm going to call you Cass. It'll teach you to trust me."

"Trust is earned, not taught."

"You earned my trust the day we met. You could've given me up at any time. You didn't. I did the same. If anyone isn't trusting enough here, it's you."

She had a point, but he wasn't going to admit that out loud. That would only grant her satisfaction, and let her dangle it over his head. He had every right to not trust anyone he hadn't worked with multiple times. He knew some other spies he'd give his life for if it came down to it. Talia Revik? He wasn't so sure about her skills on the field, or if she'd give her life for him.

Captain Andor's entire body screamed from exhaustion. Maybe he should've taken Talia's offer to sleep on the bed for a bit. He strained to focus his clouded mind, and locked his eyes on the viewport in front of him. His hands coiled around the flight controls. _I can do this._ The thought crossed his mind, leading to him releasing a long breath. _Breathe normally. Steady my grip._ He mimicked his mother's words from the training session.

Talia glanced over at him worriedly. He was pale from blood loss, and she could see his eyes pleading for rest. A sense of remorse washed over her. She told him to clean the trail of blood he made in her apartment. She was extremely serious until now. This man overworked himself, and she could see the toll it was taking on him. _I don't usually care about other people, but…he's risking his life to protect me from being found out. I owe him._ She put on the copilot's headset to hear Cassian easier if they were to head into battle. Her hands shook lightly as she latched onto the controls. Her heart raced in her chest. How would she feel after the battle was over? Would she feel the same? Would she feel the guilt? The sorrow? Would she get addicted to taking out Imperials in battle? Her stomach churned at all of the questions.

The ship broke into orbit, and the sight before them made Cassian frown. Y-Wings and CR90 Corvettes scattered around the Kuat Drive Yards, bombing unfinished ships at will. _The mission must've started early. Leading the Tyranny away would take some time._ He mustered up some energy and pushed a few buttons. A communications channel opened up, and he commandeered the ship to a safe place. He instantly recognized the rebel fleet that attacked, according to the paint jobs along the side of the ships. "Green Leader, this is Captain Andor. Captain Antilles recruited me onto this mission. Is the _Tyranny_ on its way?"

There was static on the other end for a moment. The explosions were silent, but the vibrations swept through the air, and shook the freighter as they passed. The bombs blew up in different colors as they collided with the ships. Purples, blues, reds. Without oxygen, the colors seemed to change in a weird way.

The communications line lit up and Green Leader spoke up, "I read you, Captain Andor. I'm sending you the transmission we intercepted from the Drive Yards just now. Be prepared to leave when the _Tyranny_ arrives. Green Leader, out."

The intercepted transmission played over the communications line.

A panicked manager of the Drive Yards talked first, "Kuat Shipyard to all Imperial units! We are under siege by significant Rebel forces! All ships in the area, respond! Emergency Code Zero!"

There was silence for a long moment. Then came another transmission. "This is the Tyranny responding to Code Zero. Be aware that you are altering plans set by Lord Vader himself, and you will answer to him if this code as been invoked lightly."

This was it. The _Tyranny_ was on its way. Cassian couldn't believe how many missions he had taken on in the last few days, but it was all worth it in the end. This was for the Rebellion. He put his blood, sweat, and tears into this cause. He didn't regret a minute of it. He brought up the schematics of the facility on the screen in the middle of the dashboard. He motioned to Talia, "Remember every inch of this map. No questions asked."

Talia glanced over the map, and tightened her lips into a tight line. "Fine. But when it comes to infiltrating this place, I'm covering _you_. Not the other way around." He was hurt, and now he was rushing into battle? No way.

"How good of a shot are you?"

"Better than you are in this state," she retorted.

He wanted to laugh. "That sounds like a bet."

Talia moved her mouth to respond, until her eyes fixated on the _Tyranny_ as it arrived out of hyperspace. The Star Destroyer was _massive_. This was the closest she had ever seen it to the Drive Yards, and being up close and personal made her feel so small. She was an insignificant little bug compared to this monstrosity.

Captain Andor followed suit with the mission's orders and immediately pushed the ship into hyperspace. _Pick up the soldiers. Infiltrate the building. Grab the X-Wings. Go. Simple._ He thought with hope. The rebel fleet followed behind him, off to aid the fight on Wayland.


	11. Chapter 9 - Battle of Fresia

Landing on Frellor felt exhilarating to Talia. Her first real act of rebellion was on an infiltration mission, and it included a team! Other physical, real rebels who were trained for battle were present and ready to go. She didn't want to get too optimistic for this mission, but her inner child shouted for calls of justice. After what happened to her on Corellia, she deserved to see the Empire lose something important, whatever it may be.

They had landed near a beach, where all five rebels were waiting. Their tan camouflaged outfits made them stand out against the calm blue look of the ocean, yet blended in with the sand. A soft breeze swept by, causing the fronds on the palm trees to sway softly. The air smelled of sea salt and fish, and almost brought Talia back to her early childhood. She nearly fell into a flashback until the rebels advanced towards them.

Cassian went ahead and spoke to them for a moment. The blank faced rebels appeared to have hard exteriors. They held their guns to their sides, ready for some action. Some of them had cuts, others scars, while many had dirty or calloused hands. After some words had been exchanged, and nervous glances thrown her way, Cassian waved her over. He hadn't told them her identity in order to keep her operation safe, but not knowing who she was made the rebels feel hesitant.

Talia stood among them as the team exchanged ideas and drew a map in the sand for their reference. The rebels kept information as ague as possible at Captain Andor's request. Letting Talia know the full details put everyone in danger. If she got caught later on while at work, the Empire could torture her in attempt to gain knowledge.

Talia knew that wouldn't happen. _Let them try…_ She lost her train of thought when everyone moved towards the freighter. She caught up to Cassian and questioned, "How are we going to get inside the facility?"

Cassian side-glanced at Talia and flexed his jaw. "Find a side entrance to the building. There's a nationalization ceremony taking place on Wayland, so all of the workers are there."

That only left one more question the Captain would choose to answer. Talia sat down in the copilot's chair as she watched the rebels climb down into the cargo hold. "How many Imperials are we anticipating?"

Cassian pushed a few buttons on the console before he sat down. Now _that_ was a good question. How many Imperials get deployed to work on a Star Destroyer? Five, six thousand? That could make up for the vast majority of the Imperials on Fresia. A rough estimate of who was left would be…three hundred at the most. Incom Corporation was an incredible asset to the Empire. Cassian couldn't calculate any more than that when they had a Star Destroyer protecting it. He stopped for a second in thought, then went back to starting up the ship. "It doesn't matter." He made sure the codes had been transmitted from Captain Antilles, and reassured himself when he glanced them over.

Talia grew uneasy and leaned back in her seat. His words hadn't soothed her at all, and created a knot of uncertainty in her chest. She was going to have to come to terms with killing someone. Granted, she couldn't see through the storm troopers' helmets, but this was taking someone's life. Taking them away from their families. Their friends, if they were lucky enough to have any. Maybe there was another way…

She had to protect Cassian no matter what because of the state he was in. He was doing the Rebellion a huge service. Talia would only let the senators down if she could've saved Captain Andor, but didn't.

That's what made her nervous the most.

It didn't take long for them to leave hyperspace and get passed the Empire's security using the transmitted codes. Cassian let out a breath he had been holding once he set the ship down in one of the landing pads across from Incom's facility. He exchanged a glance with Talia, then nodded.

This was it. One of the most important missions of the Rebellion was about to take place, and both Cassian and Talia were given the opportunity to be a part of it. For that, they would be eternally grateful.

For now, they were nervous about the mission failing. Neither of them would admit it out loud.

Fresia was different than both of them imagined it to be. It was a vast desert, covered in the same tan colored sand as the hot planet of Tatooine. The sun shined down in blazon fury, scorching the sand with its heat. The wind had no care in the world to show up, so only the dry air settled in its spot. Storm troopers made rounds circling the building, but if timed right, the rebels could make it inside the facility without getting caught.

Talia pointed the rebels in the right direction to a side entrance. She found it odd so little storm troopers were present on the outside, but perhaps some of them were on break from the intense heat. Either that, or they were in the academy way off in the distance. Training new soldiers must've been more important than protecting whatever was inside the empty staffed facility.

Adrenaline pumped through Cassian's veins, causing the pain in his side to subside. He kept moving throughout the facility as Talia directed him on where to go. If he were to stop, he thought he'd collapse right then and there. He held his blaster close to his chest; his eyes flickered around. He couldn't control his heart as it pounded against his chest.

"Take a right up ahead," Talia whispered. She watched Cassian every few minutes to make sure he was okay. If he were to collapse, she would have to take the lead on this, since she was the only person who knew the layout of the place. It was truly rotten that she had no clue on why they were here. _It's classified._ She mimicked Cassian in her thoughts. Talia had to have faith that the rebellion was onto something good here.

Cassian peered back at his short-term copilot in near annoyance. "How much farther?" This place seemed to be a huge labyrinth. Ten minutes had already gone by. Get in. Get out. If only it were that simple.

"Two halls over. Room eight." She yearned to question what was in such a huge room. The room itself was the size of a fourth of the building. She glanced down the hall, and locked eyes with two patrolling storm troopers.

Talia's dark oak eyes widened as they put their guns up; she quickly yanked Cassian deeper into the hall for cover. The storm troopers' E-11 blaster rifles' shots hit the wall, missing their target by a hair. The heat kissed Cassian's skin, sending chills down his body. Talia ducked her head out and fired at the Imperials in an effort to scare them. Her hand shook slightly. Killing them was a horrifying thought. She knew the aftermath of death all too well. She didn't want to put their families through that, if they had any at all.

Cassian narrowed his eyes at Talia and stepped beside her. He raised his gun and fired, hitting the storm troopers in the heart. Both fell to the ground in a heap. "You were holding back," he pointed out in a low growl.

"I would have handled it without killing them," she spat back, shooting him a side glare.

He got up close to her, fire bright in his eyes. This wasn't something to be taken lightly. Cassian spoke lowly to make sure no one else heard, "You either kill, or you die. You're not only putting your life at risk, but the team's and the entire rebellion. Either step up, or go wait in the ship."

Talia clenched her jaw as she held steady eye contact with the captain. She had to choose her words _very_ carefully. _He wouldn't send me back. He doesn't trust me enough yet._ He had heart. She had to give him credit for that. If he didn't, he wouldn't have stayed behind to protect her, or given his real name. He could've gotten someone else to do that, but no. He did it himself. She whispered fiercely, "I hope not all rebels are as soulless as you." Soulless was the perfect term. One could have a heart, but still have no soul.

The lights dimmed for a split second, then the facility's emergency siren started to go off.

Cassian's anger only ignited the fire inside of him even more. "This is on _you_ ," he told Talia, holding back all of the venomous comments he could've said. He was better than that. They had a mission to do.

Their window just minimized almost completely.

He nodded towards the other rebels and they stayed grouped together, moving faster through the halls to get to the giant room. Talia moved in front of them and led the way, firing at walls to make the storm troopers run for cover. Two rebels in the back fired at oncoming storm troopers from their direction, and made sure the Imperials didn't get a chance to fire their blasters. Cassian put in the codes for the room and waited for the door to open. The alarm system must've delayed access for any coded rooms. He held his blaster tightly, finger itching to pull the trigger on a bucket head. He controlled himself and waited for the right moment.

A group of storm troopers came around the corner and shot at the rebels. Talia stepped in front of Cassian to shield him, and shot near the enemies' heads. One of the rebels in front got hit by the blasters, and the rest fired. It was madness.

Both sides fired, but it was the storm troopers that fell to the ground in the end. One rebel got wounded in the shoulder, and another hit in the leg, but all in all, they were fine. Once they got the X-Wings, they would get out of there and seek medical attention back at Dantooine base. Cassian hit the door access pad impatiently, and it opened slowly, but surely. He entered the room as the lights turned on, and stood in brief amazement.

Four X-Wing prototypes sat on the hangar floor. The bright white paint with red lower sides glistened under the luminous light. Stripes of red ran along the far sides of the wings, close to the connected laser cannons. The S-foils that made up the wings were held together when stationary, but Cassian couldn't wait to see them fold out into an X shape during flight. _Finally…A break for the Rebellion._ Cassian sighed internally in reassurance.

Talia watched the door and shot every now and then at the oncoming storm troopers. She peered into the room for a moment, her eyes catching onto the newly made fighter ships. She held her head up high and watched the rebels run to the cockpits for a brief moment. _This will teach the Empire a lesson._ She thought to herself, and turned back to the hall.

Cassian took out his communicator and declared into it, "Contact me if there are any problems. Is that clear?" He received an affirmative from the rebel in charge of the group, allowing him to leave the room. He walked passed Talia, over the dead body of their fallen soldier, and headed towards his ship. He fired at the storm troopers ahead of him, dropping them to the floor like unwanted trash. Cassian felt a tinge of relief when he was able to take them down, and he wasn't sure if that cheered him on for more, or started a sick feeling in his stomach.

Talia followed behind Cassian quickly. She held her gun up, watching out for any storm troopers that came their way. Echoes of footsteps came from down the other hall, headed towards the hangar bay where the X-Wings were. Both of them attempted to put a pep in their step, but Cassian began to lag behind. Talia took his arm and put it over her shoulder. He scowled for a second, until he felt the relief of pain that came with it. She helped him move faster down the corridor, while he held his gun up, ready to shoot anyone that got in their way.

One of the rebels called out on Cassian's communicator, "I figured out the controls. Beginning power up sequence… Abort! Abort launch sequence! I'm detecting anti-aircraft turrets all over the area!"

"You've got to be kidding me…" Cassian trailed off bitterly as they exited the building.


	12. Chapter 10 - Battle of Fresia: Part II

Exiting the building turned out to be a horrible idea.

Multiple AT-ST walkers and TIE maulers stood between them and their ship. There was a brief moment where the gray and black vehicles stared them down in complete silence. The AT-ST walkers stood tall and thin, compared to the wide and heavy TIE maulers. The maulers looked exactly like TIE Fighters, but with heavy tank treads instead of wings. Talia had never seen designs of the vehicle before, and not knowing what they could do in combat was a terrifying thought.

The two rebels set off in a starting run. Cassian held his blaster close to him as Talia aided him in running. Cassian's stitches tugged at every movement; he couldn't wait to sit back in his comfy pilot's chair to rest his wound.

The Imperial vehicles shot at the pair, missing them by a few feet. The vehicles creaked and squealed as the gears moved. The red bolts fired, one after the other, slowly inching closer to one-hundred percent accuracy.

Talia felt the heat of the cannon blasts as they hit the sand seven feet away from them. Sand and dirt flew up and rained down upon the two. She looked at the chicken walkers and the tanks, then back at Cassian. They were only almost halfway to the freighter. The Imperials were bound to hit their targets with precision soon. She unhooked his arm from over her shoulders, and kept up her pace. She took a deep breath, and didn't hesitate to make this next call, "Keep going. I'll meet you there."

"What? Are you _insane_?" Cassian glanced over at her as he ran. He clutched his wound, barely grazing it with the fabric of his shirt. His body ached all over, but he had to force himself to make it.

They were almost underneath the chicken walkers now. They would have to move around them to get passed safely. Talia shook her head and switched sides with him. She continued to explain briefly, "Two targets increases our chances of survival. Get to the ship. I'll run the other way."

Cassian shot a few times at the vehicles, only to get nearly shot back in response. He could hear yelling from afar. _The Imperials must've alerted the academy. Now the cadets have to join the battle, or get thrown out of the Empire._ He grit his teeth to push the pain away. "You're going to die out there." That would _not_ be an option. She was _his_ responsibility, and he would not let the senators down.

Only, Talia thought the same way about him.

"The Rebellion needs you more. Now _go_!" Talia ushered him towards the freighter as she veered off into another direction, right in front of the Imperials. She fired her blaster at the vehicles, gaining their attention. She jumped and dodged as best she could, avoiding the cannons' fire.

"Talia!" Cassian yelled, his legs still pushing towards the freighter. His dark eyes were locked on Talia and the vehicles. _Mierda!_ He cursed in his mind. Talia had done something so courageous in order to get him to safety. His heart felt light at her act of pure protection and selflessness. No one had done that for him before, and it felt so welcoming, considering she hardly knew him.

A pilot's voice rose up from Cassian's communicator, which lit up yellow when someone talked, "We're going to get destroyed out there! Those anti-aircraft turrets need to be taken out!" Blaster fire sounded off in the background, and the screams of storm troopers echoed off of the walls of the hangar. Panic was clear in the man's voice, "We can't hold the hangar much longer!"

Cassian grabbed the communicator with his free hand and responded urgently, "I'm on it. Give me two minutes!"

Adrenaline refreshed Cassian's body, and eased his pain for another moment in time. Was it better for Talia to go out this way, rather than getting killed by Imperial troops back on Kuat if she got found out? Was it painless this way? She seemed so resolute in her decision, so maybe… Cassian's thoughts rolled around in his mind, creating more and more questions by the second.

None of them eased his conscious.

He raced to the flight controls, turning on the ship and putting on the communications headset quickly. The screams coming from the other side of the comms channel only heightened his urgency to get off the ground. Cassian tried not to move his side too much as he frantically reached for the controls to make the ship take flight.

The anti-aircraft turrets immediately emerged from the corners of the buildings once they noticed Cassian fly into the air. The medium-sized round turrets raised their guns at the ship, but saw it as Imperial owned. They reverted back to resting position, waiting for unsuspecting ships to fly out from the X-Wing hangar.

Cassian fired the ship's cannons at the turrets, blowing a few up on impact. He nodded his head, answering the orders that trailed through his mind. He focused on the next few turrets, maneuvering through the turret's blasts as they aimed for him.

 _Aim. Hit. Destroyed._

"Get ready to take off," he ordered over comms to the squadron as he took out the last few turrets. He glanced down towards the battlegrounds, subconsciously searching for Talia.

The sharp firing of the vehicle cannons sounded so far away. The booming of laser impacts on the sand vibrated the earth under Talia's feet as she sprinted. All she could hear vividly was the thunder of her heartbeat. Her feet pounded against the earth; her legs burned from all the energy she was using up. She fired her blaster blindly at the vehicles to keep their attention on her.

Talia slid to a stop when she saw storm troopers and cadets headed in her direction. Her hand clawed at the sand below her to gain traction, and she quickly jerked in the other direction. One of the tanks fired. The blast impacted in the dirt behind Talia, and sent her flying. She hit the ground hard, and rolled to a stop, her body unmoving.

Urgency shot through Cassian's system. He shouted without thinking, "No!" _Was it quick? Is she in agony? She risks her life to save me, and this is the end she gets?_ Cassian's thoughts formed a runaway train, which only made him focus harder on clearing the battlefield. Talia's actions had to be worth something.

The X-Wings broke out of the hangar, twirling up into the air for the first time. Streaks of gray smoke from the engines mixed with the air. The higher the X-Wings got, the more the smoke froze into small ice crystals. The air cooled the hot smoke too quickly, and that's how it reacted. Cassian stared at the sight for a moment, amazed and excited simultaneously at such a feat of technology. _The Senators will love these._

The AT-ST walkers and TIE maulers aimed their sights at the new ships and attacked. The bolts flew into the sky, and almost hit their targets, but the X-Wings flew too fast. This was something new. The Empire hadn't faced ships like these before. The TIE fighters were always on their side. Now, the Rebellion found their own ships that matched that speed and agility.

The ground forces joined in on the battle, shooting up and firing in sync with one another. Sirens went off from the academy, and pilots were shipping off in TIE fighters to join the action. The X-Wings scattered, flying off in different directions to avoid enemy fire.

The TIE fighters soon caught up, and a dogfight began. There were blasts going left and right. Blurs of red and green bolts showered the sky. Imperials shot up from down on the ground, and yelled orders to hold position. Cassian rained on their parade and shot in a straight line to scatter their forces. The other pilots yelled for help over comms as they frantically hit buttons on the consoles. The fear took over as all of them realized that they knew nothing about these ships and how to use them to their full potential.

Cassian focused on the TIE fighters for a moment, but realized this was all too much. They may have gone in way over their heads on this mission. Either that, or they underestimated the surrounding Imperial outposts that would be present. "You need to get the ships back to base," Captain Andor called out on comms.

"We need to get them off our tails first, Captain." One of the pilots frantically steered his ship downwards in an attempt to escape, and barely managed to avoid hitting Incom's building.

Another pilot screamed at almost being hit by TIE fighter shots. The pilots attempted to regroup, but was forced to go their own separate ways. A dozen more TIEs rose from the hangar at the academy and headed their direction. The ground forces' fire wouldn't let up. Possible solutions coursed through Cassian's mind, but most ended in their demise.

A voice rose on comms amongst all the chaos, "Looks like your squad is having a blast! Need a hand?" Captain Antilles flew out of orbit and onto Fresia's atmosphere. He piloted the _Sundered Heart_ , a heavily modified CR90 Corvette, and was accompanied by other Rebel Corvettes.

Some ships dropped low to the ground, allowing the rebels to depart and start to push back the ground forces. Rebel commanders yelled and forced their men to surge forward through the oncoming blasts. Imperials held their ground, and immediately dug in to prepare for the battle. Grenades were chucked by rebels in a frenzy of throws, catching the Imperials off guard. Some storm troopers ran backwards to avoid the explosions, while some cadets froze, shaking in their boots.

Once the ground forces were secure, the Corvettes rose and joined the dogfight. TIE fighters scrambled and tried to pair together to take them on, but they were quickly met with offense. The rebels soared through the sky and focused their fire on the TIEs, hitting some and missing others. The pilots in the X-Wings cheered as the battle turned the tide.

"It's good to see you've finally joined the party, Captain Antilles," Cassian declared with gratitude. _There's always hope._ He nearly smiled, until he remembered Talia was still laying on the battlefield, possibly lifeless. He leaned forward in his seat and called out urgently, "I have an agent down there that needs help! I need someone on the ground to help her back onto my ship!"

An affirmative came from the commander of the ground forces. A small team branched off from the massive herd of fire-frenzy rebels, and headed towards the spot where Talia lay. Cassian shielded the group, blasting away any Imperial ground forces that advanced. He tried hard not to flinch at all of the death and destruction. War came with many casualties. _This is for the cause._ He never stopped to question his devotion.

The group of soldiers turned Talia over to find her conscious, but shaking. "I stayed still so they wouldn't kill me…I…" she trailed off, her voice breaking towards the end. The bombs, the blasts, the screaming, all of it sounded so distant. She felt the vibrations course through the ground and shake the planet. She had made it, and she couldn't believe it.

She looked up at the rebels, who were yelling at her to get up. One of them held their hand out, and she took it. Talia whimpered and hissed when they pulled her up, and quickly set her hand on her burning leg. The rebels aided her into the ship, then took off to fight in the close battle.

Talia stumbled into the ship as Cassian took off into the air to avoid land vehicle blasts. She held onto the walls until she managed to find her way to the copilot's seat. Sand covered her clothes and stuck to her hair. Her brown eyes stared straight forward as her hands shook in her lap.

Cassian spoke up, more bitterly than he intended to sound, "I thought you were dead."

 _I thought so too, for a moment there…_ She hid a groan from the sharp turn he made, and rested for a second. _Must've twisted my leg during the blast…Straighten up. Worry about it later. Not in front of him._ She brushed the sand off and noticed small parts of her clothes had been burnt off by the blast. Nothing too revealing. Unfortunate for her clothes, though.

Her hands grabbed hold of the cannon's controls. If she could shift her focus to the battle, she'd be okay. "What? Would you miss me?" She teased, glancing over at him with a sly, but shaky, smile. When Cassian mumbled something to himself she couldn't hear, she moved on and asked something else, "What's on the agenda now?"

"Escaping." He switched over to the communications line, "We need to get the X-Wings out of here. Can you handle things from here, Antilles?" Cassian almost flew into a group of TIE fighters, barely scraping by them as he turned the ship. Talia almost pointed it out, until he put his hand out as if he didn't want to hear it. She lifted the corners of her lips in a small, playful smile; it disappeared as quickly as it formed.

Static came over the line for a second. Then, Captain Antilles' voice rose up, "I hear you loud and clear, Captain Andor. We can finish this fight. Take the prototypes back to base. We'll meet you there."

Cassian pointed at two TIE fighters that were headed their way. Now that he had a copilot, all he had to do was focus on not crashing. The TIE fighters got closer and made the shrill, annoying sound they always made. He directed the ship as Talia quickly launched ion bolts at them. The TIE fighters lost power, and slowly started to dwindle to the ground. The pilots ejected out of the ship before the ships hit the ground, protecting themselves from death.

A surge of excitement swept through Talia, and she cheered, "Woo- _hoo_!" She smiled widely, and glanced over at Cassian. For a second, all of her pain had extinguished. "What was that, Cass? I won't be able to hit an enemy ship? I think not!"

Cassian scoffed, "They got too close. You almost got us killed."

Talia fed off of the positive energy she received. "I still won the bet."

"You won fifty credits."

"And I got to prove you wrong," she stated matter-of-factly.

 _Eh, it was fifty credits. Could've been worse._ Cassian thought to himself. He had lost way more money than that in all kinds of bets. At least now it would help one of his fellow rebels, and not the scum of the universe. "Which _won't_ happen again."

"Never say never, Captain."

The Allanar N3 Light Freighter shot up higher into the air to join in the midst of air battle. TIE fighters charged at the X-Wing prototypes, aiming to destroy them. If the Empire couldn't save them, then they would be converted to salvage. The fighters attacked Captain Antilles and his squadron of corvettes. Green and red cannon bolts flew through the air, cutting through clouds and smoke. A rebel corvette sailed through the air, until it was impacted by three green bolts. The rebel screamed over comms; the ship blew up shortly after, silencing his cries. The explosion disoriented rebel ships in close proximity. The debris rained down onto the roaring battle below.

Rebel troops yelled out orders and surged across the battlefield. Blasters were shot from both sides. Extremely hot laser rounds sun into the Imperials and Rebels, their bodies falling to the ground. No sound or screams could be heard, for the guns shots and feet stomping against the sand overshadowed it.

The pilots of the X-Wings flew in diamond formation, and tore through unsuspecting TIE pilots. Their tension had eased now that backup had arrived. Cheers and orders could be heard over their communications line. One of the pilots exclaimed, "The other pilots are going to love these beauties!"

Cassian blinked his eyes a few times and pushed a few buttons on the dash with a shaky hand. "X-Wing squadron, head back to base before the _Tyranny_ arrives," he ordered, trying to keep from sounding disoriented. When he got an affirmative, they all flew into orbit, and set off into hyperspace towards Dantooine.

Letting go of the controls, Talia placed her hands in her lap. She stared forward silently, watching the stars blur together into a bright blue light. She listened to Cassian's shallow breathing for a second, and noticed he had fallen silent, too. She glanced over curiously to see him leaning back in his chair, slowly losing consciousness. "Cass?" She reached over to move his arm, but he fainted from exhaustion and fell out of his chair.


	13. Chapter 11 - Dantooine Base

Cassian hit the metal flooring of the ship, causing a loud _thump_. Talia hurriedly got out of her chair and knelt down next to him, cringing as pain shot up her hurt leg. She pushed it aside for a moment and checked for a pulse. She couldn't find a pulse in his neck, so she checked his wrist. _Barely…but he's alive._

Talia grabbed onto the pilot's chair and hoisted herself up. She put on the communications headset and pushed a few buttons to open the line. Her brown eyes glanced down at the helpless rebel in worry. _Why did he have to be so stubborn? He knew he was injured…yet he still went along with the mission. I don't know if that's dedication, or just foolishness._ Either way, the mission was a success. She thought he would be proud at the accomplishment. "This is Captain Andor's copilot. He's fainted from overexertion, and I need assistance."

One of the pilots responded immediately, "Guide the ship in after us. We'll get him help as soon as we land." He ended the transmission to send another out to the base for medical assistance.

The ship jerked out of hyperspace and stopped before a planet covered in different hues of greens and browns. Clouds swirled over the atmosphere and revealed hints of blues that could've been considered oceans or seas. The X-Wings steadily flew down to the right, following the flight path to the base.

A rough excitement built up in her system. Being at an official Rebel base for the first time seemed exhilarating. All those people, the work, the mission…they were building a better future for the children of today. Talia couldn't think of anything more noble. The aircrafts flew over the lush green forest and grassy terrain of Dantooine.

Then, there it was.

A giant wall surrounded the exterior of the base and formed a square with rounded corners. The main building sat directly in the middle of the base, and a large hangar attached to it. Other hangars were scattered around along the other corners of the field alongside the watchtowers. Other buildings were scattered around, for what Talia could only assume as housing and storage.

The team landed in the main hangar, setting all the ships down carefully without hitting any pilots at work. The hangar was large on the inside as well, and some rather tattered-looking ships sat along the wall. Newer fighter ships were brought to the front, ready to go in case of an attack. Pilots, mechanics, and more busy bodies scurried around the hangar at work, until they noticed the new X-Wings file in.

Talia let out a short breath, a tinge of a smile playing on her lips. _I'm here. I'm actually here…_ Her bright emotions faded away once she attempted to stand. Pain surged through her leg, causing her to wince and quickly grab a hold of the pilot's chair. Her free hand pushed a few buttons on the console, allowing the freighter door to open.

Rebels of all race types piled into the ship. Dressellians, Shistavanens, Bothans, Sullustans, Iakarus, Lasats, and Sabats, and more were seen among the crowd of many faces. Some helped heave Captain Andor to medbay. Others held cleaning supplies, ready to clean up the blood and grime that was left behind. Talia motioned for aid, and two rebels stepped forward. A blue male Twi'lek grabbed one arm and put it over his shoulder, while a female human did so on the other side.

Talia's heart ached when she saw the Twi'lek. She hadn't seen one in forever, not since… A thought sprang up in her mind as they exited the ship, and she quickly spoke up, "I need you two to guide me to medbay. I have to close my eyes."

"Ma'am?" The Twi'lek questioned in confusion. He turned his head slightly to look at her, but saw the resolution on her expression. She wasn't going to change her mind.

"I'm a spy, and am currently following Captain Andor's orders. I can't see anything other than the hangar and medbay. This is for everyone's protection." _Captain Andor wanted it to remain a secret, then let it be._ Talia thought to herself. It was the only thing she could give to him right now in exchange for saving her life. She closed her brown eyes and let the other two lead the way.

The girl holding her declared in a rough voice, "I appreciate your dedication."

Dedication to the Rebellion was all Talia had left in the universe, and from the looks of it, it seemed Captain Andor was stuck in the same situation. Talia sighed internally and listened in on her environment. Rebels rushed in and out of corridors. Some talked about the new X-Wings. Others whispered to each other, and only the whistling of their words could be heard. Footsteps, droids whirring, engines starting up, it all clouded her mind to the point where she couldn't focus on just one thing.

Soon, the two rebels encountered a door and passed through it. The large door shut behind them, silencing the noise coming from the outside. A whole new fiasco started. Talia opened her eyes when the rebels set her onto a bed and glimpsed around.

Doctors swarmed around Captain Andor in an attempt to stop the bleeding and patch him up to the best of their ability. Their hands were already stained in blood, whether it was from handling his clothes, or his wounds.

A doctor that was on standby greeted Talia and treated her wound. The doctor was quiet for a long moment, his green eyes fixated on the wrappings. He slowly spoke up after glancing up at her a few times, "Thank you for saving Captain Andor."

"You're welcome, but it wasn't like that. He saved me," Talia replied softly, her eyes fixated on nothing in particular. She sighed and felt a panging erupt in the back of her skull, as if the bombs of battle were still booming around her. Cassian didn't have to come back for her, yet he risked his life to do it. She hissed in pain when the doctor moved her leg a certain way and closed her eyes to get her mind onto something else.

If only it were that simple.

She lay there for an hour before the other doctors were finished operating on Cassian. Meanwhile, other wounded soldiers came in one at a time, fresh off of the battlefield. Blood soon covered the floor, and cries of agony filled the room.

Talia stood up and rested up against the wall. She motioned to a doctor that the bed was free, and after a bit of disagreement, the doctor helped a wounded soldier claim the bed. Talia put her weight on her good leg and grimaced at the slight pain rising from her wound. A whoosh sound came from the hospital's door closing, and her brown eyes flickered up to it.

Standing there in the doorway was none other than Senator Mon Mothma herself.

She was just as Talia recalled. Thin and gracious in the way she carried herself. Same short red hair, soft blue eyes, and the small frown that settled on her lips. Talia couldn't remember if she had ever seen her smile before. Mothma glimpsed around the room at all of the wounded soldiers, a look of guilt and sadness slowly overcoming her features. When her eyes landed on Talia, she calmly strolled over. "I did not believe General Draven's quick report when you were mentioned to be in battle, yet here you are."

Talia straightened her posture, as much as her pained leg would let her, and smiled softly at the senator. "Captain Andor was wounded, ma'am. I couldn't let him leave Kuat alone."

A little hint of surprise sprinkled into the senator's expression, but she tried to play it off. "I always appreciate rebels who are willing to back each other when in need. Thank you for aiding Captain Andor. If he's told you his real name, he must trust you." Mon Mothma glanced over at the bed the spy had given up, and motioned to it, "You have a big heart as well, Ms. Revik."

Talia nodded a bit and softened her voice, "The wounded need it more than I do." She glanced over at the door as a man stepped in. Once he saw the senator, he stepped aside and waited. Talia held out her hand for a hand shake and declared, "Thank you for recruiting me into the Rebellion, Senator Mothma. I've been thankful every day since…" she trailed off, pushing memories from that fateful day out of her mind. The death, the pain, the cries of agony and heartbreak, it seemed like it could've happened yesterday. Talia shook herself out of it and continued, "I hope my contributions have been helpful."

The senator took Talia's hand and shook it, but softly set her other hand on top of it, much like Talia's mother used to. "Your contributions have certainly aided many rebels. You—as are all rebels out in the field— are crucial to this operation. You are so much more than just a spy. You build the foundation of which hope is built on." Mothma glanced over at the door to see General Draven becoming quickly impatient. "I must go. I will send a pilot to transport you home after Captain Antilles debriefs you. Thank you for your bravery out in the field."

The Senator left the room in a calm manner, despite all the wounds, death, and destruction. _I wonder what it's like to carry such a heavy weight on her shoulders. The whole Rebellion is on the verge of failure, yet she remains so graceful. I wouldn't be able to do that._ Talia massaged the back of her aching neck and sighed to herself. Butterflies swam around in her stomach, and for a moment, she felt light. She helped save the day, saw Mon Mothma once again, and helped save lives. _Is this how all rebels feel?_

She spotted a chair in the corner and pulled it out, about to drag it next to Cassian's bed until Captain Antilles came into the room aiding a wounded man. Talia pushed the chair closer to them, knowing there were no more beds for the man to lay on. Antilles set the soldier in the chair carefully; the soldier yelped out, but quickly muffled it to keep from waking any of the sleeping rebels. A nurse entered the room right away and assisted him.

Captain Antilles stepped aside and thanked Talia for helping. She nodded quietly, a small smile playing on her lips. Finally seeing the good she was doing really made an impact. Antilles ran a hand through his sweaty hair to smooth it over and huffed before chuckling to himself. "We really proved the Empire wrong this time."

Talia set a hand on a bed frame to keep herself balanced as she replied, "The soldiers are much more organized than I thought."

"Senators Organa and Mothma instill it in our minds that organization is our top priority. Without it, we're just going to get ourselves killed…" he trailed off for a brief moment. "I don't know where we would be without those two women. They're fierce and strong in their own ways."

 _A female senator Organa? I really need to catch up on my senators…_

Antilles dug in his pocket and handed Talia a holochip. "Incom left this for us. There's something on it Captain Andor is going to want to see."

"I'll make sure to give it to him then." Talia glanced at the holochip before shoving it in her pocket. "Thank you for coming in at the last second. We wouldn't have made it out of there without you and the rest of the battalion."

"I would have been up to my neck with guilt if I hadn't. We have to stick together." The wounded soldier he had aided stood up and complained about needing to go back to his quarters. Antilles watched him leave, muttered something under his breath, and turned towards the door to go after him. He stopped for a quick second and turned his head back to side-glance at Talia. "Thank you for helping Captain Andor."

"You're welcome." Talia smiled softly and watched him leave. Her smile faded and she glanced away from the door. She pulled the empty chair up to Cassian's bed and sat down, relieving the strain on her wounded leg.

Medbay quieted down after a while and most of the patients had either fallen asleep, or fainted from shock. A few groans of pain rose up here and there as some mumbled in their sleep, but other than that, all that could be heard was all of the soft breathing and the beeps of the medical machines. The floors had been mopped and sanitized from all the blood that had once been there. The robot nurses and other staff had stepped out for a bit to regain their sanity. No more soldiers entered or passed through the medical center.

 _They must've taken the others to another facility._ Talia thought to herself. She stretched out her good leg and leaned back in the chair in an attempt to get comfortable. Talia let out a deep breath and turned her tired eyes to Cassian.

Cassian Andor's chest rose and fell steadily. His eyes looked back and forth underneath his eyelids, and his eyebrows twitched from time-to-time. Blood bled through the white makeshift hospital shirt they had put on him. Talia watched his wound, but only a few more drops bled through until it stopped altogether.

Talia put the blanket up further on Cassian to keep him warm and returned to resting. Her eyes drooped every few minutes, but she could never fully fall into a slumber. Someone would cough and it sounded like the boom of a cannon blast. A bed scraping against the floor imitated a TIE fighter flying through the air. A groan turned into a scream or a death cry. She pushed herself to stay up and count the tiles on the floor, or even work out her cover story.

A few minutes turned into a few hours. The whole concept of not being able to explore the rebel base tortured her down to her core, for her childish wonder stuck with her. This was where the magic happened. This was where the best of the best stayed and made plans to destroy the Empire. Mon Mothma and other senators that were rumored to be with the Rebellion rendezvoused here at times. All of them at one place! Imagine that. There were even talks about some hotshot young senator that had different ideals than the rest of the mindless lot.

Talia restlessly sighed and set her head on an empty space of Cassian's bed. It was best not to go against Captain Andor's judgment only because he was right. Her future was unpredictable and it was best to play it safe. Otherwise, she'd be out the door and exploring.

The nurses came back in to check on the patients one by one. Vitals were okay, but some extra services were required for some wounds. Once all was well, they finally made it over to the Captain. His wound got fresh cloth and bandages. He didn't wake up a bit. He was out like a light.

 _This is probably the first real rest he's gotten in a while…_ Talia's lips formed into a tight line as she sat up right. She glanced up to see a rebel pilot walk into the room and motion for her to join him out in the hall. Talia set her hand on Cassian's arm gently and wished him farewell in her mind before setting off with the pilot, eyes closed all the way to the hangar.


	14. Chapter 12 - Bhok Sivra

_AN: Short update. End half of the chapter was too long, so I had to cut it in half. Enjoy!_

The memory of Talia's tortured handler, Montoya, clawed at the back of Cassian's mind. It screamed, yelled, pleaded to be heard over his other thoughts. He attempted to distract himself with work, but an unsettling feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. _It's nothing._

He sat up on his creaky mattress, staring off into the distance as he calculated the length of his next trip out of Dantooine base. The Kathol Sector had been reportedly under attack, and presumably seized by the Empire. The trip could last days. Weeks, even. _Way_ too long for Cassian's liking, especially if the Empire took control already. Not to mention, the sector was at the other edge of the galaxy.

The pain in his side had decreased as he steadied his breathing. The wound was healed for the most part, but he could still feel it. If he got into a fight, there was a possibility of pushing himself too hard, causing the pain to be much worse. He had to stay low, but he hated being cooped up in the base. He wanted out. He wanted to be free for a while. Cassian's mind ran with different thoughts about the Kathol sector, until another thought popped up, overshadowing everything else.

 _I forgot to check for heart beats…_

The thought shook him out of planning mode; his mind gravitated to worry mode. _If any bucket heads survived, they must've called it in._ He set his head in his hands, remembering the moment he found Talia's dead handler. It was always a constant cycle of loss. The Rebellion could achieve a small win, only to get taken down in a big way. Losing _any_ operative in the field was a huge loss on intelligence.

A part of him wanted to move on. He had spent too much time on Kuat, and any more time would draw attention. He didn't live there. He wasn't a regular. It was only suspicious. Cassian was needed elsewhere, somewhere he could save people. Gain intelligence. Foil the plots of yet another base full of Imperials and watch them run around in confused panic. General Draven would agree in a heartbeat.

But the other part of him clawed its way to the top. If the information _had_ reached the Empire, the whole operation on Kuat was exposed. There would certainly be hell to pay, and Cassian didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. The operation supplied so much intelligence to the Alliance.

But it had been two weeks since the incident. Why wait this long?

Even if they hadn't, the Empire would know of some spy being there. It's not like the bucketheads killed themselves, or each other for that matter.

Cassian scrapped his plans. This was more important. The Alliance just scored a huge victory. There was no need for a loss as well. He contacted Talia's handler about a meeting. This would simply be a follow up. Make sure the Empire knew nothing.

The thought of it didn't ease his horrible gut feeling.

Paranoia.

Talia's new handler was suffering from it. They sounded frantic over the transmission as if they hadn't slept in a couple days. They were convinced they were being watched, but didn't know by whom.

The only thing left to do was find out what was happening.

Cassian landed on Kuat and made his way to a well-known bar. People of all races bustled in the streets. Most were vendors, others beggars. Upbeat music blared in a building nearby; every time someone opened the door, the music blared out the sounds on the streets. He stayed low, moving with the crowd. Moving too fast drew suspicion. Moving too slow attracted attention. He kept a watchful eye on everyone that passed him.

 _Be there…_

The state of the city had severely declined since he'd last seen it. Imperial storm troopers patrolled the streets in higher numbers. Some of them held random searches in the Imperial workers' homes. They flipped everything upside down, threw stuff around, and interrogated the workers, only to come up with innocent pleas. They had already begun to search out for the possibility of a rebel spy amongst their ranks, which meant they hadn't found Talia yet.

Cassian thought that to be a blessing.

He continued walking through the streets to get to the bar. His mind raced with possibilities of who could've been following the handler. _Imperial spy. Another rebel. Double agent. Assassin. Bounty hunter._ The odds weren't shining in the handler's favor.

Laughter and yelling erupted through the bar's walls. The sign read _Hawkmoon_ , or at least that's what Cassian interpreted. His Kuat language skills were a little rusty. He opened the door and was immediately greeted by hot air and the heavy stench of alcohol and hot breath. He grimaced, but quickly flipped his expression to a blank one.

In order to blend in, he strolled up to the barkeep and ordered a drink. After paying an absurd price for it, he sat down at a booth on the side of the room. He relaxed against the back of the seat, his hand scratching at the skin underneath his scruff. Cassian's dark eyes trained on the green drink for a few moments before he started to steal glances around the place.

A music system played, the sounds bounced against the walls. People were talking and laughing to the point where it felt unbearably hot in the poorly conditioned room. A few species he had never seen before were scattered around the room, partying with friends or coworkers. Humans were plentiful, but clung dearly to half of the room. _Must be a party._ Cassian thought to himself. Other species, such as the womp rat-like Lutrillain, blue wide-eyed Duros, and the snake-like Lamproid were laughing loudly as they engaged in a friendly competition of Dejarik.

No one too suspicious.

Yet it still nagged at Cassian. Here he was, minutes passed the meet up time, and the handler was a no show. Someone paranoid to that extent wouldn't miss something like this. Situations like these were life or death. He drank a few gulps of the thick liquid he purchased and cleared his throat after. _Remain calm and collected. The handler is fine._

Fifteen more minutes passed.

Cassian did another clean sweep around the bar, glancing around to notice anything suspicious. _The handler must've gotten killed. There's no wa-_ Someone caught his eye on the other side of the room and broke him out of his thoughts.

A Shistavanen sitting at the bar. Given her wolf-like appearance, it was difficult _not_ to notice her. The muzzle, sharp teeth, pointed ears, glowing gold eyes, all of it entranced Cassian for a moment. They were a rare sight out in the field, even though they had a few back at the base. Shistavanen were isolationists and hardly were seen outside of their populated planets. Cassian had looked into their species for a while after gaining intelligence on their popular employment types, such as Imperial scouts, mercenaries, and bounty hunters. He never thought he'd see one as an Imperial with his own eyes.

Cassian got up and started making his way towards the door. It was nearly ten minutes before Talia had to meet up at the dead drop, and he was sure that's where the bounty hunter was headed next. As he passed by the bar, he could overhear the Shistavanen speak.

Her voice was low, almost gutteral at first as she cleared her throat, "Put on my tab. Be back in hour."

"I need a name," the bartender replied, serving up a few more drinks to the patrons on the side.

"Bhok Sivra."

 _I'll call it in when I get the chance. Right now, I have to beat her to the drop._ Cassian thought as he blended in with the crowd in the street. He kept his head low, eyes searching around frantically for a glimpse of the rebel spy. He released a soft exhale, calming his on-end nerves. _I'll find Talia. Drop her off at the base. I might even get a mission from Draven if I can prove I'm healthy enough to go back out in the field. It's a win-win._


	15. Chapter 13 - Hunter or Hunted

Talia Revik sat alone at the local watering hole full of Imperial workers. One hand held onto her drink, a variation of a Kibshae, which was a clear liquid that had minimal alcohol. Her other hand was shoved into her pocket, moving Captain Antilles' holochip around between her fingers.

Trusting her handler to send it back to the Rebel base was not an option. The package would bounce between too many people, and who knows if it would even get to its destination. Talia hated that she couldn't go back to the base, but the risk of being followed was incredibly high. All she could do was wait until she figured out a plan on how to get it there safely. She put it into her pant pocket for safe keeping.

Talia set her drink down onto the table and stood up. _Time to make the drop._ She exited the bar through the back. She looked around and spotted a man soiling against the wall. The rest of the dark alley was empty, thankfully. She could see the people strolling down the street on the far exit. Some storm troopers passed by, causing her to tense up a bit.

Having so many storm troopers only set the city on edge. It only made matters worse since Imperials of all kinds were despised there. Most of their population worked for the Empire in some way, but a lot of them dreaded it. That was shown through the horrible graffiti, beautiful rebellion art works, and more throughout the city.

Talia set her hand against the wall, pretending to be a little sick from the swill the bartender gave her. She needed the man to leave without getting suspicious of her being there. The man turned to glance at her and spoke up in a course accent, "Rough night?"

"Working for the Empire is always rough," she replied truthfully. She coughed and spit up a bit to make her sickness seem real. She made a deep noise as if she were going to throw up.

"Ah, you're one of us. Don't worry. Other citizens feel the same." He zipped up his pants and patted her on the back. "Do you need me to take you to the medics?"

Talia shook her head and gulped loudly. "I'm good." She waved him off and spit out excess saliva. The man nodded and walked back inside the bar.

The rebel spy straightened herself up and glanced around once more before going towards the drop. She removed the brick and stuck her hand in the pocket, but only grabbed onto air. It was empty. _Guess he has nothing to say to me._ She reached into her inner uniform jacket pocket and put the information holochip into the wall. Talia stuck the brick back, poking it a few times to make sure it didn't move out of place. She shoved her hands in her pockets and headed towards the street at a regular pace.

A pair of hands yanked her back into the alley and she tore away from the person's grasp. She whirled around and almost swung for a punch until she saw who it was. Captain Cassian Andor in the flesh. A mixture of relief and anger tinged up in her stomach. "What the _hell_ are you doing here? Don't you know you being here is-"

Cassian cut her off in a short, breathless reply, "I'm saving you." He pulled her further into the alley and towards the bar door.

She resisted for a second, confused about the whole situation. "From what?"

 _We don't have time for this._ Cassian thought quickly. He turned to her and whispered, "There's a bounty hunter that's going to be here any minute." _I'm not going to fail someone else._

"Am _I_ compromised? Or just the drop?" Her stomach twisted sharply into a knot. How? Was it something she did? Did the handler mess up? Was the Empire spying on her? Is she going to be executed? Will her face be plastered all over wanted posters? Talia kept her composure, but couldn't help from frowning at the sinking feeling settling in her system.

As if any of that actually mattered. Cassian thought it absurd to even question it. "Does it matter? People's houses are being checked. There's a bounty hunter. Clearly they're onto someone, and if you don't leave, they'll catch you. I've seen what they've done to rebels, Talia. _Trust me_. You don't want to stay to find out."

Some of the bar patrons glanced up at them as they scurried through the establishment. Cassian pushed through the door, accidentally knocking over a potential customer. Talia apologized in their native tongue and kept up with the rebel. "I need to grab one thing back at my apartment."

 _God damnit! Why…? Okay. Okay. Fine._ Cassian fought with himself on the decision, but finally allowed it. "Make it fast." It must've been important if she was going back for it. The two maneuvered through the streets like cohesive fish in the sea. His dark eyes glanced around at everyone, and suddenly he felt scrutinized. Then, it donned on him. "You need to ditch your uniform."

"Give me your jacket," Talia ordered as she took off her Imperial tunic, revealing a white undershirt. She tossed her tunic into the trash, causing some people to turn their attention towards it. Once they looked back up to the source, Cassian and Talia had disappeared into the crowd. She put on Cassian's captain's jacket and kept her head down low. Her eyes skittered around everywhere, from anyone following them, to Cassian, then back to the ground. "What made you come back?"

The cold breeze washed over Cassian's skin, causing goose bumps to rise. He shivered slightly and got closer to Talia to remain quiet, "Don't draw too much attention."

"Not drawing attention if this helps us blend in," she corrected him in a low tone. She shoved her hands in her pant pockets and took one quick sweep of the area. "Pretend like we're friends. Or out on a date. Or just taking a stroll. Something. You being this close looks awkward."

Even if he didn't want to admit it out loud, Cassian liked her style. Talia didn't agree with him because he was her superior. The other rebels did that. She challenged him, and made him think. On the other hand, it was a pain to deal with since they were butting heads. As much as she was correct, he didn't reply. He put a good distance between themselves and walked behind her as they entered the Imperial compound.

Once inside the apartment, Talia dove into her room and came out of it just as quick. Cassian furrowed his brow and stepped forward, venom dripping from his tongue once he saw what she was holding, "We're here for a _photo album_?" His blood churned at the thought of getting caught over such a little thing. Spies shouldn't have the luxury of having heartfelt possessions out in the field. The objects were a liability, especially in situations like now.

The photo album meant more to her than anything. It was all the happiness she had left in the entire galaxy. Ignoring his comment, Talia shot him a glare and pushed towards the door. "Let's go. We can go through the back way."

A click came from the front door, as if it had just been opened. Talia quickly pulled Captain Andor into the kitchen area, just out of sight of the living room. Both of the spies drew their guns, waiting on either side of the doorframe in anticipation. The front door clicked once more as it closed behind the bounty hunter.

The unfortunate part was they didn't have the element of surprise.

Cassian locked eyes with Talia, who seemed calm on the outside, but specific movements told otherwise. Her finger fluttered between the trigger and the front of the blaster, as if she were unsure if she wanted to commit to shooting the bounty hunter. Talia's free hand shook slightly until she balled it into a fist.

 _I'd be frightened too if I were in her place. Death has touched my life too much already to faze me._ Cassian thought as his finger coiled around to the trigger. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple. He steadied his heart rate and exhaled slowly, listening to the footsteps of the Bhok Sivra as she came closer and closer to where the kitchen.

Bhok's gun came into sight first. Talia reacted and hit Bhok's hand with the butt of her gun, causing the bounty hunter to drop it and cry out in pain. Talia went in for a punch to the face. Bhok knee collided with her stomach, knocking Talia down a peg. Talia hunched over, gasping for air for a second.

Bhok noticed Cassian and his readiness to fire his blaster. She quickly whipped out her second gun and shot his weapon. The gun flew out of his hand and was knocked to the other side of the room. He bit his lip as pain surged up his arm. The skin on his hand turned a bright red, and became sensitive as the burn set in.

Talia tackled the bounty hunter, slamming her against the floor. They wrestled for a few seconds before Bhok sent a right hook at Talia's jaw. The rebel spy flinched and groaned, but stayed on track. She used all her strength to push Bhok's gun to face at the wall. Bhok fought back and attempted to aim at the two rebels, but failed. The weapon was thrown to the side, leaving her one thing to do.

Bhok bit into Talia's arm.

Talia cried out as quietly as she could, biting her tongue so her neighbors wouldn't hear. Bhok kicked upwards, launching Talia over her and into the wall. Talia hit the floor and slowly became drenched in her own blood.

The Shistavanen pushed herself off of the floor and dove right for Cassian. Captain Andor shot at her with his retrieved blaster, but both shots missed. She was too quick and dodged his attacks. Cassian aimed low this time and got her right in the leg. It slowed her down, but not much. He pinned her against the wall, yet couldn't hold her long enough to take another shot.

Bhok fought back and the two struggled for a minute. Kick. Punch. Hit. The two exchanged fight moves, hitting and missing at different times. Bhok dug her sharp fingernails into Cassian's arm, causing him to drop the blaster onto the ground. A shot went off and collided with a wall, missing his leg by a few inches.

The bounty hunter slammed Cassian into one of the counters and kicked his legs out from underneath him. He landed on the ground with a loud _thud_. Bhok bared her teeth and stretched her bloody fingers as she got ready to dig into him.

A few blaster shots fired, hitting Bhok in the chest and head. The Shistavanen twitched before falling lifeless onto the ground. Cassian looked up to see Talia standing there, blaster in hand. Her chest heaved as she breathed heavily, eyes wide and full of adrenaline.

A wave of invigoration washed over Talia. Killing a bounty hunter that worked for the Empire meant she saved lives. All of those people, whether they be deserters, rebels, the scum of the galaxy, or innocent civilians, were now alive because she did the dirty work.

In a flash, confusion and a terrible feeling knotted up in her stomach. Talia just took someone's life. She internally ridiculed Cass for doing the same thing a few weeks prior, yet here she was, committing the same atrocity. The Shistavanen might've had a family. Children. Friends. People that depended on her. Bhok was doing her job to get paid to support them.

And now Bhok Sivra was dead.

Talia had to do what was best for her and the Rebellion…but god, at what cost?

Captain Andor peered at Talia in slight disbelief. _The woman that was so against killing finally took a life. The first time you kill is always the worst._ He thought to himself. He admired the fact that she took it upon herself to do it to save them and the bigger picture, but she would never be the same again. It was like a switch in the mind; a staggering line between innocence and guilt. Cassian pushed himself off of the ground and walked over to Talia slowly. He set a hand on her shoulder, accidentally startling her. "You okay?"

The rebel spy paled and lowered the blaster. She nodded slowly, holding out the gun to give to him. She didn't want it anymore. Her stomach churned as bile rose up in her throat. Talia's eyebrows furrowed while she struggled to tear her eyes away from the corpse.

Cassian took the blaster and put it in the back of his pants. He grabbed the photo album that had been thrown onto the floor, and gently tugged at Talia's arm. "Let's go."


	16. Chapter 14 - Personal Struggles

_AN: This has got to be one of my favorite scenes I've ever written. Warning: It does contain PTSD and a panic attack, so if this hits home with you, please be cautious._

There were a few hours when the city of Ralock fell quiet, and the drunks had either found their way home, or crashed somewhere along the way. Others slept soundly in their homes, tucked away from the howling winds of the night. Fest's temperature dropped by the hour, accompanied by more and more snow.

Ralock was tucked between mountains in a small valley made of hard, blue ice. Sturdy bridges linked the whole city together, in between the large crevices with long drops. Talia had been lucky enough to see some of the inhabitants wandering home after a tough night of partying or work. The population had mainly been humans, but there were a few colonies here and there of the adorable beings Cassian called Ewoks.

The new plan was to lay low for a few days. With the recent run in with a bounty hunter, Cassian thought it to be too risky to go back to Dantooine base. So, finding refuge on Fest seemed to be the best option. Cassian went out to get food from his neighbor, and promised to be back quickly. It gave enough time for Talia to observe the place.

A light layer of dust covered the furniture. A hastily made bed sat in the corner of the room. The couch and chairs appeared to be hardly used. Photographs and Cassian's items littered the coffee table. All of the frames on the green walls were empty, but one portrait of Cassian's family. He warned her not to go into the back bedrooms, but she didn't question why. This was his old home, and it only felt right to respect his privacy.

Talia lightly touched her bitten arm, tracing her fingers along the bandages. Even as she looked around, her mind was elsewhere, back in that alleyway where she murdered her first victim. The moment replayed in her mind, over and over again. She couldn't tell if it was the guilt eating her alive, or if she was just psyching herself out because of what it meant to take a life. Talia peered down at her hand, and found herself subconsciously playing with the holochip Captain Antilles had given her.

The front door opened, and Cassian stepped inside with a bag in his hand. He saw Talia standing there in her own little world as he set the food down on the coffee table.

It was time.

Whatever was on the holochip, Cass was meant to see it. Talia should have remembered to give it to him when she had the chance, but everything from that day clouded her mind too much. Now she had to accept the consequences of how he was going to react.

Talia straightened her posture and put on a brave face. Her stomach twisted anxiously as she held out the holochip. "This is for you. Captain Antilles gave it to me to pass on to you, but…" _I forgot._ She thought bitterly before continuing, "…but I was too disoriented from the battle to remember."

Cassian's eyebrow twitched and he took it from her. "What's on it?" He started walking to his old room, which had a holoprojector. He used to come back all the time on his father's birthday to replay old holograms. A part of him wondered if his father had anticipated an early death, and that's why he wanted to record every special moment with little baby Cassian.

Talia shrugged as she followed him. "Not sure. Antilles never explained." She glanced around his old room before sitting down on his small, comfy bed. A thick layer of dust settled on everything it could. The gray walls were faded, and the drawings he had pinned on there were even more so. A chest full of toys sat next to the holoprojector on the table, but as far as furniture went, that's all that the room contained.

Simple. Clean. Everything Cassian was as a spy. No surprise there.

Cassian sat down on the edge of the bed next to her as he pushed play.

"Is the holocamera on?"

 _No. No. No. No. No._ Cassian's eyes widened when he recognized the voice. A hologram of his mother popped up. She was on the floor, huddled up against the wall like a wounded animal. Cassian's hand gripped the bed frame as if he were about to rip it right off. He narrowed his dark eyes at the woman that abandoned him.

After a pause, Xyrias started talking once more, "I, Lilandra Sward, have-" She stopped and winced. Her shaky hands made contact with the gaping wound in her side. A dark mush of blood stained her clothes. She forced herself to go on, "…have secured the deal with Incom Corporation. The Rebellion will have access to the newly developed T-65 X-Wing Starfighters once they are built."

Another voice, presumably the Incom worker she made the deal with, spoke from behind the camera, "Anyone that mentions the codename _Sightline_ will be granted access. No one would ever mention the targeting system by that name, other than the scientists behind it. It's the safest bet to effectively communicate before the raid."

"These starfighters will change the war. You'll have to send the best of the best to get them." Xyrias inhaled steadily, but couldn't fix the shakiness that was caused by the unbearable pain. She grit her teeth for a second to regain her composure before continuing, "If my son isn't dead by then, send him. Send Joreth. He will _not_ fail." Her eyes began to droop, until she pushed herself to keep her head up. "Please…after the mission is over, give him this hologram."

Tapping and yelling echoed from the background. The Incom worker accidentally shook the camera as he looked away, then readjusted it. He spoke up, worry clear in his voice, "The Imperials are going to get inside soon."

"You'll have enough t-time to escape. Let me just say s-something to my son." The hologram flickered for a second. She peered directly into the camera, as if she were staring right into Cassian's eyes.

Cassian furrowed his eyebrows as his mind raced. _What? Like how you feel terrible for abandoning me? You left without a word! Not even a goodbye. How could you treat me like this? I'm your son!_ He yearned to scream out at the hologram, yet it was no use. She would never hear him say that. He would never get an answer. All that was left was what she said next.

"Rebellions are built on hope, Joreth. You are the hope. You always have been. One day you're going to save the galaxy. J-just know that I'm proud of you. I-" Xyrias stopped herself and stared at the camera. Her brow furrowed as tears flooded her green eyes. Her voice began to crack, "I don't remember the l-last time I told you I love you. I love y-you with a-all my heart."

Xyrias smiled weakly at the camera, eyes full to the brim with tears. She leaned against the wall more, and her breathing slowly calmed. "Forgive me. I-I'm so sorry, mijo, for everything. Forgive m-me…"

When she stopped moving, the Incom worker called out, "Ms. Sward? Ms. Sward!" The hologram cut and abruptly turned off.

A long silence reigned. Talia moved her mouth to say something, but didn't know what to start with. She witnessed Cass' mother's death right in front of him, not to mention the fact that she forgot to give him the holochip in the first place. Her breathing shallowed, and suddenly a flush of anxiousness rushed through her. Talia broke the silence, "Cass, I-I didn't kno-"

Cassian held himself back from yelling and quietly interrupted her, "Get out." A heavy weight fell onto his chest, causing him to exhale. He rested his elbow on his knee and set his hand on the edge of his brow, covering his eyes. Water formed behind his closed eyelids, yet he held them back.

Talia nodded grimly and walked out of the room. She stopped at the door, thinking about what had just happened and if she should comfort him. At a time like this, her motherly instincts kicked in, but this wasn't a hurt child. This was a broken man. The only thing that would give him comfort was some space. Talia bit her tongue before closing the door behind her.

Tears fell out of Cassian's eyes. A few little whimpers rapidly turned into full-fledged sobs. He cried, his whole body moving with each broken sob.

Everything suddenly made so much sense. Xyrias was the reason why Captain Antilles asked him to join the mission. He wondered about how they had access to the prototypes, but never received an answer until now. This was _never_ mentioned to him. Even when Xyrias left for the last time, he never knew what mission it was for. When she never came back, no one would tell him what happened, or why. All Cassian knew was she disappeared. He half thought she was tired of him and that's why she left. The other remained hopeful, thinking she was off on an espionage mission and was soon due to come home. But now? Now he knew.

Questions now remained. How long did Captain Antilles know? The Senate? Did one of his buddies know? How could they do this to him? How could they let him torment himself on the inside, and just stand by, watching it happen?

Cassian's stomach lurched and contorted. Some bile rose in his throat, causing him to rapidly swallow it back down. He clutched his chest as it rose and fell quickly, feeling his airways constricting inside of him. His brown eyes glanced around the room as a sudden urge of panic and fear overcame him. _No, please! Not again…_

The urge to scream struck his system. He opened his mouth to yell, yet nothing came out. He desperately wished to call for help, but some part of him didn't want to be seen this way. Having a panic attack could mean he was unfit for duty, and without this role, he was nothing. He lived the Rebellion. Bled for it. Breathed its life right into his lungs. If that were all taken away, he didn't know what he'd do. His mind began to race with different thoughts.

Failing the Rebellion was entirely possible. If he had, that was it. He'd die as a failed spy. The other rebels would shut him out. Disrespect his name when he was gone. He would end up forgotten in time. Or what if he let down his comrades? He would fail his makeshift family. They'd die because of him. The rest of the crew might disown him. Throw him out to the curb. He'd have nowhere to call home.

His mind switched to memories like a bolt of lightning. All those wretched memories of loss. Friends' assassinations. Their failures. How he failed to have their backs at certain moments that led to their ultimate demise. All those civilian casualties tortured him. The Empire took, and took, and took. Lives, food, shelter, anything they could get their grimy hands on at the expense of the citizens. Those women, children, and poor defenseless civilians…Their body count could wrap around Coruscant thrice over.

The memory of his father flashed through his mind, causing Cassian to whimper loudly. His muscles tensed up and sweat formed on his brow. Hardly any oxygen flowed to his lungs. The heart beating on overtime in his chest ached immensely.

This chaos all happened because of war.

War had taken so much from all of them. Was living even worth it anymore? Could they win this losing war? Why did it always seem like Cassian was on the team of the underdogs? If his life had turned out different, would he have sided with the Empire? These questions bolted through his mind at pod racer speeds, causing him to hold his head in pain.

Everything happened so fast. He couldn't keep up.

His mind flipped a switch. He remembered the terrible things he'd done. Those crushing, horrendous things… The assassinations, murders, thievery, set ups, sabotages, and more. They haunted him, floating around his mind like endless ghosts. They whispered evil things to him, causing him to doubt himself. To doubt his cause. His friends were assassins. Saboteurs. Spies. People that have done horrible things, and for what? A losing side of war.

They weren't any better than the Empire.

Cassian's hands scratched at his hair, tugging on the ends in frustration before falling limp beside him. His lip twitched; he closed his eyes in an attempt to recompose himself. Numbers popped into his mind steadily, allowing him to count them out of order under his shaky breath. He struggled to stay focused and gave up that attempt.

 _Find something good to focus on…_

Then the memory rushed back to his mind. The last time he saw his mother was one of his happiest memories.

 _Xyrias paced around the small room she called home. Her bright red face darkened as she cussed in another language. Her hands clawed at the ends of her hair, nearly tearing them off in frustration. The blood in her veins boiled; many emotions coursed through her, but one stuck with her the most. Loss of hope._

 _"Mama, what is wrong?" Eighteen year old Cassian sat on his mother's cot. He'd been out on his own for two years, spying on the Empire at various locations. He counted down the days until the anniversary of his father's death, and decided to surprise his mother with a visit. No one deserved to mourn alone. Except instead of finding her in a state of sadness, he found her in one of her worst moods._

 _She threw her hands up, nearly yelling, "What's wrong? Do you not keep up with the news anymore?"_

 _If he knew he would've found her upset, he would've dropped by later when she had calmed down. A stir of hatred swirled around in Cassian's chest. She was never the best person when she was angry. "I haven't been back at the base for months. What happened?"_

 _"Some Imperial cadet fool from Carida thought it would be funny to blow the academy's logo off the face of the Mascot Moon with antimatter."_

 _So what? It was a moon that was a mascot for the school. Why was that important? Cassian's brow lifted as he questioned, "And?"_

 _"And he miscalculated and blew up the whole moon! I had an operative there. The closest one we had to the damn academy. He was feeding us as much intel as he could from encrypted Imperial messages, to what their coordinated air battles were like. All of that, gone!" Xyrias plopped down on the cot in defeat. Her breathing steadied; her blood lowered to a simmer. A wave of despair washed over her, and she lowered her voice, "He was the best hope we had. I have no clue on what to do now."_

 _"He wasn't the best hope. Rebellions are built on hope. All of us working together is the best hope we have." Cassian looked over at her, not sure if he should hug her or not. This was the first time he'd seen his mother give up hope, the very foundation on which their lives were built on. He had to raise her spirits, so he decided to continue, "You are doing your best to keep these ops running. Don't beat yourself up over one lost operative. We know what we sign up for."_

 _Xyrias hesitated, and took a moment to really look at her son. He wasn't the boy she knew anymore. He was a man, and more importantly, a hard working Rebel. "Is this my son trying to give me a pep talk?"_

 _Cassian rubbed the back of his neck. He shrugged slightly, almost nervous about how she would react next. "Is it working? I'm not sure if I'm doing it right."_

 _"It's working." She thought for a moment, remembering what day it was, and a frown formed on her lips. The anger, fear, panic, and more faded away, leaving an empty void in its place. "I know why you came down here."_

 _The young rebel started to defend himself in fear of rejection, "I wanted to sp-"_

 _Xyrias cut him off and hugged him tightly. "Thank you." Cassian wrapped his arms around his mother, hugging her back. He couldn't remember the last time he'd hugged his mother, or even heard her be thankful to him. Both of them sat in silence for a moment until Xyrias backed away. "I was going to make your father's favorite food today. Would you care to join me?"_

 _Cassian thought back to what it was. A bubble of energy flowed through his system as he remembered. It was the same as his. Endwa. He almost jumped out of his seat upon hearing this. He hadn't had Endwa since his father died. "Yes!" He quickly calmed down and cleared his throat, "I mean…I would love to, Mama."_

Cassian came back to reality when his breathing had calmed; he still could barely move his limbs. The memory of sharing homemade food with his mother slowly faded away into the back crevices of his mind. He looked around the room, remembering where he was and what had just occurred.

In these bleak moments, Cassian knew that the Rebellion wasn't pure. He was living proof.

Darkness isn't only in the Empire.


	17. Chapter 15 - Laying Low

The next few days were stagnant.

Cassian kept his distance, still upset over the holochip incident. He went out, supplied fresh food each day, then went back into his old bedroom like clockwork. Some hours he felt too little, laying on his bed motionless. He stared at nothing in particular, experiencing nothing but the calm heartbeat in his chest.

Other hours he felt too much, hunched over, hands clawing at the skin on his chest. Through heavy tears, he begged for the emotions to stop. Cassian used to think knowing what happened to his mother would put him at ease.

Only to find out he was horribly wrong.

Talia spent her time coming up with things to say to the senators, that is, if any were going to be present at the base when they arrived. A part of her yearned to make an excuse to stay at home base to make use of her mechanical skills. She fought against her wish to be more realistic. Fieldwork was always in demand, especially with so much ground to cover.

The only thing that kept her going was the need to avenge _her_.

Her train of thought crashed when Cassian left his bedroom for the first time in days, breaking his cycle. She turned to him as she stood in the center of the living room, arms crossed. Talia sucked in a breath. "Are we on speaking terms?"

She hoped they would. It wasn't a necessity, but it surely made things less awkward.

Cassian stepped towards the couch, reaching for both his captain's jacket and the heavy blue one. _Should I take her with me?_ An immediate defense set itself up in his mind. _No! She kept that message from me._ He averted his worn out eyes and focused on putting his jackets on. The softer side pushed its way through. _She's been stuck in the house the entire time. Going stir crazy isn't the best._ His mind lunged as the defense yelled. _If I hadn't gone to her, I would've never seen it! Forever wondering what happened to my mother!_

"Enough," he whispered, ceasing his thoughts altogether. Cassian's eyes drifted to Talia's, his mouth drawing breaths as if he were trying to catch words in the back of his mind to say. She waited patiently, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Cassian put on his gloves and declared steadily, "We need to get some air."

Agreeing wholeheartedly, Talia hastily put on her jacket as Captain Andor left the house. She followed behind, minding her step into the crunchy white snow. Cassian stayed ahead of her without stopping, so she let him have his space. She peered around at her surroundings, eyes burning from the freezing wind.

The two spies passed by groups of people of all kinds. Little Ewoks brushed against their legs as they squeezed by. When crossing the first bridge, Talia peered down at the gaping crevice below. Pitch black darkness waded in the depths, causing Talia's stomach to drop. She glanced away and slid her hand along the railing.

Tall skyscrapers lined the land, leaving no ground untouched. With so little space in the valley, the people had to make due with what they had. A strange symbol composed of two different shapes mashed together had been painted in random spots all over town.

Talia caught up with Cassian, standing next to him as he pushed his way through the crowd. "What does the symbol stand for?" She shoved her numbing hands into her pockets and shivered.

"We were at war with Mantooine some time ago. After the Empire formed, the Imperials attacked them. We set aside our differences and joined forces with the survivors to create the Atrivis Resistance Group, named after the star system we're in," he said lowly, his warm breath forming into a white fog against the cold air. "Mothma convinced the group to join the Rebellion. Since the Alliance doesn't have an official symbol yet, we made their own."

"Why doesn't it have one?"

He shrugged, keeping his eyes forward. "Hell if I know. We're more worried about surviving at this point."

The line of buildings ended at the start of a giant open area covered in glistening white snow. Gigantic blue ice structures jutted into the skyline, carved by nature and citizens of the city. Children ran among them, hiding in between to avoid the snowballs being hurled in their direction. One of the sculptures, after many years of wear and tear, resembled a big tree. The branches stuck out in every direction, casting many thin shadows along the ground.

"This is my favorite spot in the city." Cassian looked around, passion and a flicker of nostalgia in his eyes. Talia peered up at the ice structure in bewilderment as Cassian continued, "I used to play here all of the time unti-" He cut himself off quickly, and attempted to cover it up by abruptly starting the next sentence, "I climbed the ice one time. Made it almost to the top. Then I slipped and broke my arm on the way down."

 _After all that had happened, he opens up? Something must've happened while he was alone._ Talia contemplated, staring at him in wonder. He appeared calm and collected, as if he were at peace with the world. She knew he had felt otherwise. Most of the time, she was good at reading people. When it came to Cassian, it was a whole other story.

Snow began to fall from the sky. Soon, it would be a regular snow storm. Cassian's brown eyes watched the tiny snowflakes gracefully float down to the ground. The children running around heard echoes of their parents calling for them to retreat inside before the weather turned worse, and complied immediately, silencing the area around the two spies. Cassian spoke softly, to the point where he wasn't sure if he did at all, "No one is going to remember me when I'm gone."

"How can you say that? With what we do…" Talia instantly trailed off the moment reality hit her. Spies were almost always undercover. Very few lived at the base full time. They mostly lived among the shadows, following as many orders as they were given. Would anyone remember the deeds done by these heroes? Or would they fall flat in everything else publicly going on?

"I have friends back at the base, but who's to say if they'll even be alive by then…" He bit the inside of his cheek. Everyone he knew would be dead at some point in the close future. With everything at stake, it's bound to happen. Being the last one standing was _not_ on his agenda. "None of them know about this place."

A small shock of surprise flickered inside Talia's brain, but she kept a straight face to not reveal it. The fact that someone like Cassian had friends was amazing enough. _If they can take his half-deadness on a daily basis, more power to them. He does have a softer side inside that hard shell, though._ "Well, this place is beautiful. I can see why you like it so much, even though I'd prefer beach sands over ice."

An inkling of a smile appeared on the captain's lips. "You're the only person that will know of this place." No one else had the time to visit. A small hope arose in him that one day when he was gone, Talia would take his fellow spies here to make a memorial. Have drinks, tell stories, and share their best memories about him. Death didn't have to be a sad thing.

"I feel honored, Captain." She smiled softly. Talia caught onto what he was implying. Finding out he had friends and that none of them knew this place? Instant giveaway. She would do it for him. It was the least she could do for the rebel spy that saved her life. "Thank you."

Cassian remembered the situation at hand and frowned. His mood plummeted drastically. "I needed something to take my mind off of all that's happened." He shoved his gloved hands into his coat pockets and glanced down at the ground.

 _This is what I was expecting_. Talia shook her head slowly, knowing this would be just one vicious circle of arguing. Attempting to go another route, she calmly stated, "Look, I don't know what you expect of me, b-"

Captain Andor cut her off and got in her face, spitting his words with ferocity, "I expect you to do your _job_. That entailed delivering that hologram after the battle."

"I was trying to find a way to send it without it being _intercepted_ by the Empire." She defended herself sharply. Her stare melted into an icy glare.

Now he could say all he wanted to. He thought about it for hours about the right thing to say, and now he had the opportunity to release his emotions. "Two weeks! All you needed to do was give it-"

Talia intervened, throwing her arms up to emphasize her frustration, "Giving it to my handler? Who, by the way," she glanced around and hushed her tone, "was being followed by a bounty hunter? Are you insane?"

"That holochip means everything to me! And to think I might've never seen it."

"I told you I was sorry. How many times do I have to say it?" She ran her hands down her face and dropped her hands to her sides. A sigh escaped her lips before she could stop it. "Yes, it was my fault. I'll own up to it. But you know what? I'm _glad_ you didn't see that until a few days ago. You were recovering from overexertion and exhaustion. Because of all the runs and missions you've been doing, you've been slowly _killing_ yourself. Putting that hologram on top of that? You wouldn't have fared well."

Cassian's voice lowered to a growl, "You don't know me."

"I know enough to make that assumption."

On one hand, she's right. He could've killed himself by overworking. Would it have been worth it? Sure. He'd give his life for the Rebellion. On the other hand, Talia was completely wrong. He stood his ground, not moving from how close he was to her, "I've been in this fight _much_ longer than you have, Talia Revik. I know what I'm doing."

Talia got closer, teeth grit and eyes full of fire. "You aren't the only one who's seen death and destruction. People I have loved are _gone_. We're all victims of this war."

The memory of his panic attack flashed through his mind, and Cassian instantly tried to calm down. Taking this too far might trigger another one. He watched her eyes, which stared deep into his soul. "At least you don't go through half of the stuff I do." The guilt, the memories, the heartache, it all seemed to be a part of a horrifying ride he couldn't get off of.

"You don't know me."

He threw her words back in her face, "I know enough to make that assumption."

Talia clenched her jaw tightly. After a few seconds, she spat, "I'll find my own way back to the house." The spy spun on her heel and left in the opposite direction, her feet stomping in the snow.

Cassian was left staring at the falling snow and the field of ice structures. A harsh wind swept up once more, causing a chill to run down his spine. He sat down at the base of the tree structure, anger and loneliness circulating in his system. He scrunched down into his coat to keep himself warm and succumbed to the vague memories of his childhood spent here.


	18. Chapter 16 - Sincerity

_Punch._

 _Punch._

 _Miss._

Cassian Andor ducked as Talia Revik went in for a swing. Her fist collided with the wall, distracting her with pain, allowing Cassian to twist her good arm around her back. He pushed her against the wall, waiting for her to call mercy.

She threw her head back, hitting Cassian's forehead hard. He groaned and became shortly disoriented, giving Talia enough time to use all her weight to push herself into him. He stumbled backwards, but quickly caught himself on the wall.

Talia used this moment to her advantage; she punched him in the side and made sure it wasn't too hard. Her other fist flew to collide with his ribs, but Cassian grabbed her by the arm and pushed her backwards before she could. She gasped and winced from the sudden pressure on her bite wound, but quickly swallowed the pain.

"Again," Cassian spat as he stood up straight. He flexed his burnt hand before getting into position, arms raised and ready to attack. Sweat dripped from his short dark hair onto his face.

"Cassian, maybe you should-"

He cut Talia off by throwing a punch her way. She ducked, blocking the next few sequential hits. She quickly swept her good leg against his, causing him to fall onto the cold metal floor of the Allanar Freighter. Cassian exhaled and hissed. He had bit his tongue during the fall; blood pooled under his tongue, mixing in with his saliva. He swallowed some of it and balled his hand into a fist, exhaling through the pain.

Talia brushed her hair back and wiped the sweat off of her brow. Her brown eyes locked onto her opponent in pity. "We need to take a break. It's been an hour."

Captain Andor felt a sting in his mind. The events flashed through his mind, as if they were trying to torture him. _Talia kept it from me. How could she do that to me? After I've saved her so much?_ The anger that Cassian held inside bubbled back to the surface; heat began to radiate off of him at a higher level. He clenched his fists tightly and pushed himself up off of the ground.

 _Swing._

 _Swing._

Cassian missed both swings. Talia dove backwards, steadily keeping her balance each time. He put his weight into his next kick, knocking Talia into the wall. She blocked Cassian's side jab, and clocked him right in the nose in response. He covered his nose quickly and snarled, blood dripping down into his open mouth. On instinct, the pain funneled down into the deep abyss of suppressed emotions.

Talia glimpsed at her fellow rebel with wide eyes. She didn't mean to do that, but would he see it that way? She ducked and attempted to run to a better position. Cassian grabbed her from behind, setting her into a chokehold. Talia panicked for a second. She hit his arm a few times, so she could get some oxygen. Cassian held on tighter, waiting for her forfeit.

She turned her head towards the nook of his arm, took his free arm, and threw Cassian onto her back. His short burst of confusion gave her the upper hand. She rapidly threw him over herself onto the ground. A loud clank of metal sounded off and Cassian let out a loud breath.

He did the only thing he thought he could do.

Cassian's leg collided against Talia's wounded one. She cried out, collapsing onto the ground with a thud. "Always expect the unexpected," he stated lowly, spitting out some blood from his mouth.

A silence filled the air, covering for Talia's unused screams. All her weight landed on her wounded leg, making pain shoot up her body. A loud screech of nails against metal pierced their ears as Talia clawed at the ground to distract herself from her agony.

The anger dissolved into sympathy within seconds. Cassian crawled over to Talia on his hands and knees. His heart dropped at the thought of making her injury worse than it already was. "Are you all right?"

"You-" Talia exhaled through gritted teeth and whispered, "Lurdo!" She bit her lip and sat up, leaning her back against the wall for support. She gently touched her leg, wincing every now and then.

 _She's really spent that much time with the Ewoks?_ Cassian thought to himself. His dark eyes glanced away for a moment.

A short moment of silence set in until Talia took out a piece of cloth from her pocket. She strained to steady her heavy breathing to appear calm and collected, despite the searing pain in her leg. "Here. You're bleeding everywhere," Talia held out the cloth for him to take. The Captain complied, accepting the cloth and pushing it against his nose as he tilted his head back. The Kuat spy sighed softly, feeling remorse for what she did. "I'm sorry for hurting you…" she hesitated, but pushed on, "…but you have to know that you were overexerting your anger this whole time."

With that question hanging over him, Cassian's instinct came out. He changed the subject, "Who trained you to fight?" He clenched his jaw, refraining from starting a verbal fight.

She contemplated that for a moment. Should she tell him? It would just dig up a past she would mostly like to forget. But…but he did open up to her at times. In order to keep things from escalating, reciprocating the kindness would be the only way. "When you handle haywire robots, you have to know a few moves. Plus…" Talia paused. "…my ex-husband taught me a couple things before I left him."

A shock of surprise swept over his features, but the cloth covered his face enough to where Talia wouldn't see. His eyes widened for a second. _She had time to have a life? How? This line of work takes all of your effort._ "You were married?"

"Didn't last long. Two years max. We had…different thoughts about the way we should live life." Talia's gaze shifted to the opposite side of the room. Seeing his disapproval would've only made her feel worse. Her judgment quota had been filled long ago, along with dirty looks and stares. She softly continued, nearly reluctantly, "He was one of the few Miraluka that fell to the Empire."

A Miraluka? And here Cassian thought he knew a lot about other races. He didn't want to pry, yet curiosity bit into him. The question flies out of his mouth as if it were an interrogation, "Did you have a family?" He bitterly closed his eyes for a brief second. _Not everything has to be like that. Be sincere for once._

"A beautiful little girl." Talia grinned brightly and looked down at the ground. The image of her running through a meadow replayed in her mind. She played with her fingers shyly, "She inherited her father's traits. No eyes. Force vision. Even his laugh."

 _The force? Miraluka…_ A vague memory came to mind of Mon Mothma talking about new recruits. Among them was a Miraluka. Any information after that was unimportant. Another question plagued him. "What happened to her?"

Ms. Revik frowned; she began to wring her hands anxiously. Her body stiffened and her eyes stayed glued to the ground. "Without eyes, the Sith distorted my ex-husband's force vision. Made him see things…" She trailed off nervously. With betrayal came anger. It had ignited something in her, increasing her need for justice. "At that time, my little girl was four. I was raising her with my girlfriend Anhira. She was a gorgeous Twi'lek that had taken us in.

"He found us one day. Walked into the house and found Anhira tortured and mutilated. My ex-husband wasn't there, but he was looking for us. So we fled." She picked at her nail furiously, taking out her emotions on herself. The image floating through her mind was so vivid, so real, as if that scene had been permanently burned into her brain. Talia finally spit out the answer to his question, "He didn't kill my daughter. She was the victim of another atrocity."

Silence.

"Did you love him?"

"Once," it came out more bitter than Talia was expecting.

Cassian remained quiet and set a hand on her shoulder. Talia put her hands on either side of her and raised her blank gaze to the opposite wall once more. The two sat in silence as they got lost in their own thoughts.

 _To lose three beloved people in one lifetime is enough pain already. Yet she persevered. There's motive to join the Rebellion…but is there more to the story?_ Cassian took the cloth away from his nose. The blood had clotted and stopped dripping. He set the cloth onto the ground, realizing there were more important matters at hand now that the friendly session was over. "What are you going to do after we get to the base?" He attempted to remember where his gun was. If only it were at his side.

Talia took a long breath. That was a good question. Where would she go next? Quitting the Rebellion wasn't an option, no matter what her mind negatively stated. Her brown eyes finally looked up from the floor to Cassian's. "I'll go wherever the senators need me."

Surprise swept through him for the second time that day. _This woman is full of surprises, isn't she?_ Despite the Empire knowing what Talia looks like, she's still going to fight for the Rebellion. Her face will be plastered all over want ads, yet she isn't going to leave. That's new. Refreshing, in a sense.

At times like this, Cassian's forced to kill the rebel spies that want to leave, on orders given by General Draven. They know the spy code, and that would be incredibly useful to use against the Rebellion. A part of him sighed in relief. He didn't have to kill someone else, and honestly, it was a breath of fresh air. _Is this how Talia felt when she chose not to kill that senator?_ "You aren't going to quit?"

"I'm not going to back down because of one bounty hunter. Sure, it's going to be dangerous for me, but when isn't it? I live the life of a spy." _Even if it means taking another life…_ Talia shuddered, taking a calm, but shaky, breath. She tried to steady her voice, "Spies will do anything to get the job done."

The thought of what Cassian was about to do engraved itself into his mind. Could it change? Had he been wrong all this time to do that to all of those innocents? Was General Draven leading him astray? A sick feeling rose from the pit of his stomach. All he could do was just nod in agreement. As spies, they were the dark in the light.

He hated that the most.

"It should be safe for us to leave today. I'll be out of your hair in no time." Talia used the wall as leverage to stand up. She wobbled for a second, but found her balance and began to limp her way out of the room.

"Talia?" Cassian raised his eyes to Talia, who stopped in the doorway and slowly turned around. He frowned for a moment. This was something he wasn't used to. Cassian pushed the words out of his mouth in the most sincere tone he could conjure up, "I'm sorry for everything."

Talia softly smiled. _Smiled._ The opposite reaction Cassian thought she would give. She could see right through him, and he couldn't tell if that disturbed him more. He was always so adamant on being right, so stuck in his own world. And who could blame him? He was on his own most of the time. No interaction whatsoever. Led astray from the path of life that would give the least amount of remorse, sorrow, and personal hatred.

Honestly? Cassian managed a small glimpse of a grin at Talia's next words, a welcomed change in his book.

"Apology accepted."


	19. Chapter 17 - New Beginnings

Minutes of silence and static reigned in the Allanar Freighter. Cassian held the communications headset to one ear, desperately waiting for someone to pick up. He tapped his fingers against the wall, falling in sync with the harsh clinking of the hail outside.

Talia sat on the side, rubbing her arms to create warmth. _Why would people ever live on such a freezing planet? Kuat was so much nicer than this…_ Her brown eyes watched the rebel pilot carefully, attempting to deduce what he was thinking. The man had an incredible poker face. It's as if nothing in the world mattered and he was an empty shell. Talia yearned to be taught how to do such a thing. "Are you sure we can get a signal out here?"

"We should…" Cassian halted abruptly when another voice picked up in the transmission. "Captain Andor reporting in. Is anyone there?"

"Is that Captain Andor?" General Draven's voice popped up in the background before the rebel communications officer could speak. "Let me speak to him." Static and rustling erupted in the headphones, causing Cassian to flinch.

 _Here we go…_ "General," Cassian greeted, his tone low and calm. He remained as composed as he could, standing straight with his arms at his sides. The second nature stance had been engrained in Cassian's brain, even if the general couldn't see him.

"Where have you been?" The question came out rough and bitter, almost as if Draven scolded a child. "Your missions are being neglected."

"An urgent task came up, sir. A fellow agent was in danger."

"Please do not tell me it was that _Ms. Revik_. Her face is plastered all over want ads across the galaxy!" Draven paused, eagerly waiting for a response. When the spy failed to speak up, Draven's voice heightened with an ounce of anger, "You risked yourself, your operations, and our timetable for someone _who is already dead_?" He hesitated, presumably glancing around his environment before lowering his tone to nearly a whisper, "If you aren't going to give her a merciful passing, you should've left her to the wolves. The Empire will _not_ make light of the situation."

Cassian's body straightened out into a rigid form. His brow furrowed as he contemplated what was just said. _Is he…right?_ A ball of uncertainty curled up in his chest, causing Cassian's eyes to stay glued to the transmissions console. It took every ounce of strength to not look at Talia, who was inspecting his every move in curiosity. If she could actually read his body language, she'd confront him after this. Lies formed in the back of his mind, mostly with intentions to protect her from the harsh truth of what was said.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Cassian responded, "She's willing to pull her weight still. Pure rebel, through and through. Ms. Revik is one of our best."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Talia smiling in both confusion and gratitude. Such high praise from Captain Andor shouldn't be taken lightly. It was an honor.

The General remained silent for a moment, pondering the next decision. Talking in the background came through the vacant mic, until Draven replied, "She will be risking her life. Don't get yourself killed trying to save her. That is an _order_. Now, scouts indicate that an Imperial Captain by the name of Berilyn Calway boarded a Rebel sympathizer's ship and took credible information we were waiting for. I need you to intercept her before she makes it to her commanding officer on the planet Wecacoe. One of our allies managed to plant a tracker inside of her jacket. Sending you the information now." He hesitated. Even through the mic, Cassian could feel the hard stare Draven was giving at the console. Draven sighed heavily, "Bring Revik with you. She can take this opportunity to prove herself."

With that, the line went dead.

"What was that about?" Talia questioned, her head slowly tilting to the side. Her brow furrowed slightly as she attempted to read Cassian's blank face.

He averted his eyes and made no eye contact whatsoever. _Intercept_ meant assassinate. Cassian knew Draven all too well to know otherwise. His eyes locked onto the screen in front of him, which displayed the coordinates of the Imperial Captain. Different answers danced around Cassian's mind. Should he tell her the truth? A lie? Somewhere in between? He licked his lips before turning to her. "We need to intercept an Imperial Captain before she gets to her commanding officer." Captain Andor brushed passed Talia to open the freighter door.

Talia's eyes followed him, a frown forming on her lips. The tone in her voice deadpanned, "So, this is a _need to know_ mission? I know you're not a man of many words, Cass, but you didn't say anything else."

Cassian paused, leaving his hand hovering over the button. "Ask me a question then."

"Where are we going?"

"Wecacoe. It's a backwater world, so I don't think we'll see much in the way of a storm trooper presence," he stated calmly. There was no need to mention the assassination, intel, or even the fact that they might have to get their hands dirtier than _that_.

Talia mulled it over, yet something tugged at the back of her mind. She let her arms fall to her sides as she stood up to face him directly. The thought dripped from her mouth slowly, "Wecacoe…I remember some of our newer droids were sent there. And before you ask, no, I do not know why.

Captain Andor nodded and pushed the button to open the door, ending the conversation. "We leave in five, and we aren't coming back," he called out as he stepped out of the freighter.

He soaked in every ounce of freezing cold air as he could on the walk back to his childhood home. The snowfall twirled in the air, accompanying the high-pitched howl of the wind. The ridges creaked beneath his feet, and as it echoed beneath his ears, he could've sworn he smelled his favorite food emanating from his home.

Well…except it wasn't home anymore.

The barren house lay void of life. Quiet. Echoes of the past whispering amongst the walls. Talia had taken a liking to it, but it wasn't enough to give it back the spark it once had. The love it shared had died out with his mother, father, and the little boy who never thought he was good enough.

After gathering his things and locking the door, Cassian glimpsed inside the window one last time. His heart yearned to see his mother cooking and his father setting the table…All he saw was a dark room and his own crisp reflection.

"Stay close," Cassian instructed Talia in a whisper. He pushed his way through the crowd, making sure not to get his tan captain's jacket caught on anything. His dark eyes glanced down at the small tracker in his hand. The Imperial Captain was close, but not close enough. The sun's rays shined down on the hot desert, causing Cassian to start sweating. He wiped it away and glanced around the area.

Even though Wecacoe was a backwater world, the city's capital, Wecacoe City, buzzed with life. Stormtroopers patrolled the area in groups of four, surveying the area for suspicious activity. Rodians, Verpines, and Klatooinians stood out most from the crowd, even if they were bundled up in clothing to protect themselves from the sunlight like everyone else. Chatter lightened up the area, and soon, an aroma of freshly fried food floated around the street.

Talia pulled Cassian back to halt him as a Caamasi cut him off. It's long, furry snout twitched as it eyed Cassian and spoke in its native tongue, presumably an apology. For all they knew, the Caamasi could've hurled an insult his way. It folded its big ears downwards and continued on its path. Talia held back a laugh before declaring, "I'll lead. Tell me which direction to go."

Cassian hitched an eyebrow. _Taking the lead on a mission?_ One corner of his lips curled up into a smile. _This is the start of a great adventure._ He gave her directions, and for the next few minutes, she weaved them through the crowd in a quick manner. When the dot finally showed up in the vicinity, Cassian searched around.

Target acquired.

Berilyn Calway appeared to be a short Arkanian. She took her long white hair with her four clawed digits and pulled it up into a tight bun beneath her gray cap. Calway's sensitive white eyes had been covered by dark goggles. She smoothed out her gray outfit before reaching the Imperial base.

Talia followed Cassian's gaze and headed in that direction. Her hand twitched towards her weapon, but she pulled it back. Thoughts raced in her mind about when she killed the Imperial assassin, and a dark feeling knotted in the pit of her stomach. The mission called for interception, not assassination. She repeated that in her head over and over to calm her on-end nerves.

Calway turned the corner sharply, causing Cassian to tug Talia back. He backed up against the wall and peered around the corner. Multiple stormtrooper squads and multiple droids stood outside a large, stone gray building. He cursed in his mind and almost uttered them out loud. "This can't be right! Why all of this manpower on a nowhere planet like this?"

"Hidden stations might be the easiest to deploy from in attacks….or maybe there's something here that we don't know about." Talia glimpsed around him until something caught her eye. She tapped on her partner's arm and nodded, "Do you know what type of droids those are?"

"KX-series," he replied shortly.

She shot him a doubtful look. "If they find us, they _will_ take us down. We need to be careful."

Cassian nodded instantly and checked his blaster. "You read my mind." Rebel Command would argue the odds were too great to go in. Retreat and reassess was too long of a process to complete. They didn't come all this way to leave empty-handed. "There's a drain over there we can go into. Should lead into the facility."

"The officer's rooms are usually located in the back. We should have enough time if we hurry." They walked over to the drain out of sight and dropped into it. Once at the bars, Talia slipped through first, then Cassian. The discolored goop they stepped in sloshed around with each movement. The smell burned the inside of their noses, and neither of them could tell if it was raw sewage, or crude oils from the ships.

The drain led to a cold, unused hangar bay full of ships in dire need of repair. A couple of TIE-Fighters were grouped in the corner, while the main space was taken up by an Imperial Star Destroyer. The metal walls slanted to the side until they reached the high ceiling.

Talia's jaw dropped a bit at the sight of a Star Destroyer up close. Just the back of it alone was gigantic and almost scary. _Five thousand_ workers could fit on one alone. The mere thought of being stuck on one of those things in space sent chills up her spine. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. The only option was to be captured by the Empire.

"Hey," Captain Andor lightly pulled on Talia's wrist, "we've got work to do."

"Right. Let's go." She started off in a sprint across the hangar, despite her almost slipping from the gunk on her boots. The sounds of their pounding feet against the smooth tile echoed in the silent room. Talia spoke up, "What's the plan, exactly?"

Cassian's silence spoke volumes.

That's when it donned on Talia. How could she expect more from an intelligence officer? From a spy that had the first instinct to murder instead of inspect? "There are other ways to go about this. Murder isn't always an option."

"And risk the fact that she may have seen the intelligence? I am _not_ taking that chance." Cassian held his blaster close to his chest as he closed in on a door. He glanced around the corner, finding the dark tiled hall empty. _Most of the troopers must be outside._ He lightly stepped into the hall and walked quickly to the next corner, as if it were a game of leap frog. Cassian checked the scanner.

Calway was close.

Captain Andor's eyes locked onto Talia's for a short moment. Now that they had started fresh, a wave of calm sincerity washed over him. A whisper left his lips, "I need you to trust me. This is the only way." _The only way to ensure our safety._

She rested a hand on his shoulder as she stared at him. His eyes appeared bright, yet holding so much pain. Cassian's usual stone cold expression had been overshadowed by a hint of uncertainty.

If he was asking for trust, then he had it.

Talia nodded, reassuring Cassian and putting him at ease. Realization dawned on him as a heavy weight lifted off of his chest. _What was that? No. Not enough time right now to focus on it._ His mind switched back into mission mode; he continued down the adjacent hall. He sidled up against the wall and kept his steps light, barely making any noise. Talia watched the other side of the hall to make sure no one came up from behind. The tracker showed Captain Calway around the corner. Everything went according to plan.

Until it didn't.

Calway turned the corner and immediately whipped her hand out to move Cassian's blaster to the side. In surprise, Cassian fired a shot. An unnerved feeling formed in his stomach. _How did she know?_ He reacted and used her arm to throw her up against the opposite wall, pulling her out of possible view.

Calway hit the wall, but quickly bounced back. She no longer wore the goggles. Instead, her white, pupil-less eyes stared back at Cassian. A small smirk played on her lips as she attacked his chest, "You humans give off so much heat. I could see you right through the wall. You won't shoot me. The entire facility will be notified."

A scoff left Cassian's lips. _Watch me._ He used all his weight to push her off, sending her onto her ass. She skidded across the floor, attempting to catch her bearings. Before she could, Cassian sent another blaster round off, piercing her neck through and through.

Calway's expression contorted in horror as blood pooled around her. She attempted to crawl into the other hall, but fell short and collapsed. Her claws scratched against the ground, making a shrill sound in the air.

Cassian's expression fell as his surroundings melted away. He let out a held breath, looking at what he had just done. Not even a clean kill. She suffered until her dying breath. He paused. His stomach twisted and reacted with his buzzing mind.

He killed them.

All of them.

And for what?

Hope?

While lost in thought, Cassian blocked out the sound of the facility's siren going off.


	20. Chapter 18 - Reprogramming

_AN: It's a long one. Enjoy!_

Captain Andor peered down in a daze at the blaster in his shaking hand. All that rang in his ears was the thumping of his rapid heartbeat. His mind relentlessly brought up past assassinations and cold blooded kills, torturing him viciously. When the war was over, how could he live with himself? Would his parents be proud after all of this? Would the Rebellion notice the horrors these spies had to go through?

"Cassian!" Talia called out, pulling on his hand. When that didn't work, she stepped in front of him, staring him straight in the eyes. She set her hands on his shoulders, shaking him a bit as she spoke, "We need to _go_. I have the holochip."

Talia pulled him out of the rut of his mind and tugged him in the direction they needed to go. He nodded and joined her without assistance, setting his blaster to his side as they rushed down the hall. When they reached the hangar, shouting echoed from inside. Cassian backed up and uttered, "There's too many of them. We're never going to slip passed them unnoticed."

Talia glanced around the hall, only to find nothing helpful. Distractions could help…but that would require the facility to not be on alert if she wanted to make it out safely. Uniforms weren't anywhere nearby, and getting caught was much more likely. She walked down the hall looking for more options. "Then we need to get creative. We could leave through the ventilation system. Maybe hide in one of the closets until they've searched the hangar."

 _Clear. Clear. Clear_. Cassian's mind snapped into focus. He went down the other side of the hall and started to open doors. He fought against the adrenaline surging in his system and kept going. When he came across a room with a KX droid, he motioned to Talia. "I got a better idea." Cassian stepped foot into the room, grabbed the first thing he saw, and chucked it at the droid.

The thin and gangly limbed droid looked up from where he was positioned at the console. The black painted droid appeared newer and taller up close. A white Imperial crest adorned both its shoulders. The droid pointed at Captain Andor and called out, "You! Don't move."

Cassian put his hands up, humoring the droid. He stepped closer into the room and took a quick glimpse around. A few tables. Cabinet in the corner. Computer console in the middle. _Shouldn't be too difficult to work around._ "I surrender."

"I said don't move!"

He repressed the small smirk about to form on his lips. Sometimes things worked out way too well. "I'm not moving. Come on. Come on… _Arrest me_."

The KX unit tilted its head in confusion. Sirens blared in the facility…and a rebel wanted to be captured? He studied the rebel in front of him and observed, "You seem very eager to be arrested. I will call for backup."

"Backup? You don't need backup. You're a big bad security droid. I'm just one guy!" Cassian ushered the droid on. He put his hands in front of him, ready for stun cuffs. "It'll be easy."

The droid grabbed a pair of Imperial standard stun cuffs from the cabinet, and walked over to Cassian. "Remain still." When the droid got close enough, Cassian propelled himself using the droid's hands and flipped onto its back. The KX unit instantly questioned, "Wait. _What are you doing_?"

Captain Andor's arm wrapped around the droid's neck and used his other hand to search the back of it. His feet couldn't touch the floor, and when the droid flailed, he had to hold on for dear life. "Trying to put you down for a quick nap. What model are you, anyway?"

"I am Kay-Tuesso, and you _are not_ authorized to service me."

Cassian attempted to stay out of reach of the droid's grabby hands. What he was looking for wasn't there at all. _Since when did the Empire update their tech regularly? Or has it been that long since I've seen a KX droid?_ "You KX series types used to have this kill switch on your neck. Did they move it?"

"That's classified!" The droid yelled. It ceased flailing around and resorted to rushing backwards. Kay-Tuesso rammed Cassian into a wall in an attempt to throw him off. Kay-Tuesso would be sent in for more measly reprogramming if he couldn't stop one rebel. "Stop resisting."

Cassian fell to the floor flat on his back. Oxygen completely released from his lungs, causing him to inhale deeply for more. He propped himself up and slowly crawled as much as he could away from the droid, but it wasn't any use. Kay-Tuesso stood above him, watching him grasp for anything that could aid him. The droid's white optics flickered to red. "Now stay absolutely still as I det-"

The KX unit shut down and fell lifeless on top of Cassian. The heavy weight pushed down onto Cassian's body, making the oxygen fly out of his lungs once more. He gasped and peered up to see Talia there. The smuggest expression took over her features as she looked down at him with her brown eyes. The door of the room had been shut; footsteps of a stormtrooper squad echoed up the hall. Cassian couldn't help but to smile and chuckle once he caught a breath.

"I had to lure some troopers away before I could make it here." She laughed quietly and took a mental picture to remember for later humor. It wasn't everyday that Cassian ended up in a vulnerable position. "Looks like he did a number on you."

Cassian ignored her last comment. If she mentioned it to anyone, he'd deny it in a heartbeat. "Caught him by surprise, at least." Talia helped move the KX unit off of him and offered a hand to help him up. Cassian accepted and grabbed her hand. "Do you know how to wipe this droid's memory?" Talia shot him a pointed look. He couldn't tell if she didn't want to insult him with her words, or if her silence demonstrated that. _She repaired droids. Of course she does._ "Show me."

Talia noticed they were still holding hands and dropped hers. She set both hands on her hips, her face still adorned with the pointed expression. Respect went both ways. It was his turn to show it. "A 'please' is required for that."

"Please."

The expression slowly melted away, leaving a small, sweet smile. Talia poked fun at him, "You're getting nicer everyday, Cass." She carefully removed Kay-Tuesso's chestplate and began to mess with the wiring. Blue, amber, white, black, green, red, and many more colors lay inside the empty shell of a droid. Cassian wasn't sure how Talia could remember what all of the wires did. She took out a kit from inside of her shoe and picked at the tools inside, contemplating which one to use.

Cassian's eyes locked onto Talia's hands, watching intently so that he could remember in the future. The more he witnessed, the more he came to terms with how long it really had been since he reprogrammed a KX unit. Talia's movements were precise, yet gentle. She made it seem all too simple. When she paused, he glimpsed at her eyes and how meticulously they moved through the mess of wires. Allowing her to tag along on the mission proved to be more helpful than he had originally thought; he hoped Draven would think the same. Before long, Cassian realized he was staring and darted his vision back to the wires.

"I need another tool. Hang on." Talia stood up and checked around the room for anything of use. She listened in on the environment, noticing that the siren shut off. The troopers must've assumed they had escaped. Either that, or they were checking every room. They needed to leave, and _now_. "Check him."

Cassian played with a few of the wires before pushing them back into its chest. He powered him on, allowing the droid to comprehend it was awake before he interrogated, "What's your designation?"

Kay-Tuesso's optics blinked as it registered what little it had on its mind. It responded sluggishly, "I…I do not know."

"That's good. That's _very_ good." It had worked. It really worked. The Rebel Alliance could gain incredible amounts of information on the Imperial base programming alone.

"However, I am compelled to report that only 29.73 percent of my memory has been erased." Kay-Tuesso drew its arm out and forcefully grabbed Cassian by the throat. "Which means I must detain you, and if you resist, _terminate your life_."

The red death appeared back into the droid's eyes. Cassian's dark eyes widened and his hands scratched at the droid's. He struggled, frantically calling out for help, "Talia-"

The KX unit's voice tune deepened, sending a chill down Cassian's spine. "What is your name and rank? I will need to note it for the death record."

Talia rushed over and flipped the kill switch. Kay-Tuesso slumped over as Cassian coughed. Talia furrowed her brow and set a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry. These droids are tricky." A makeshift tool came in handy to do a few more things. When the wires were put back into place, Talia restored the chest piece onto the droid. "He should be ready. You're of a higher rank. I'll let you do the honor."

Captain Andor rubbed his neck; a small amount of appreciation bubbled in the back of his mind. He accepted the nice gesture and flipped the switch into the _ON_ position. All three of them stood up and Kay-Tuesso proceeded to form a fighting stance. Cassian spoke clearly, "K-2SO, I am in command. Here are your new orders."

He warily glanced over at Talia. Being caught off guard again by a droid bumped to his first worry. Kay-Tuesso listened, much to his surprise. "You're going to lead us to our ship. If anyone tries to stop us, including the other droids or stormtroopers, you take them out. Understand?"

Talia side-glanced at him.

Kay-Tuesso registered his new orders, running them through his blank mind. "Yes, I understand. I am to lead you to your ship."

"And if anyone interferes?" Should be a clean job. Short. Simple. With a droid like a KX unit, they would have no problem making it back to the ship.

"I will, as you say, _take them out_."

Cassian grinned softly. "Good. That's very good." A sense of relief washed over him, which eased his racing mind. He turned to Talia and nodded in appreciation. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." A tinge of pride sparked through her mind, and she couldn't help but to smile slightly. Captain Andor was certainly full of more surprises now that they were on good terms. From the cold man he used to be, this was definitely an improvement.

"We need more people with your expertise back at the base." He moved towards the door, standing on one side and listening for any echoes in the hall. The blaster in his hand became concealed by his jacket to not draw suspicion.

Talia followed suit, standing on the other side with her blaster at her hip. She whispered, "Yeah, well, field work is more exhilarating." Kay-Tuesso walked out as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Reassurance built up in Talia's system as she stepped foot into the hall. With the KX unit at their side, she felt better with the odds of survival. She pointed her gun towards Kay-Tuesso, "Plus who will watch your back? This droid could've killed you."

A playful threat deeply rooted itself in Cassian's reply, "If anyone else hears about that, you will not hear the end of it." All three of them walked through the hall, listening as they went along. Footsteps echoed down the other corridor, causing him to fall back to the hangar exit. "Kaytoo, this way." He lead the group through the hangar and back down the drain into the city unscathed.

The only problem became apparent the moment they laid eyes on the crowd. Stormtroopers were littered around the area, patrolling through the people for possible sightings of the rebel spies. The relaxed environment in the city melted away into paranoia and irritation. Hardly anyone stopped at the shops on the marketplace, and everyone kept their heads down to stay out of trouble.

With Kaytoo in the lead, a stormtrooper noticed him right away. He pointed at him, armor clinking against the rifle in his other hand. "Where are you going? All security detail is gathering at storage facility 47."

Without missing a beat, Kay-Tuesso responded plainly, "I'm escorting these rebel spies to their ship."

Cassian and Talia exchanged glances as they both gripped their blaster hilts. Talia sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment. The KX unit honestly said that to a stormtrooper. Cassian shook his head.

"You're _what_?!" The stormtrooper and his patrol partner raised their blaster rifles, pointed directly at the trio.

Kaytoo put his hands in front of him, as if to caution them, "But I have to warn you, if you try to stop me, I'm going to _take you both out_."

"Arrest them!" Both troopers fired their rifles, making the crowd of people panic. Screams of fear chorused around the area. People ducked and dove for cover, making the trio better targets. Others collapsed onto the ground in crumpled heaps. Civilian casualties piled up as more shots rang out. "We need backup! We've spotted rebel infiltrators!"

The rebel spies fired back, using all of their aim to make sure they didn't injure innocents. Cassian managed to hit one of the troopers, causing him to twist backwards onto the ground. "Kaytoo, follow me!" He began to sprint in the direction of the ship, making sure to weave through the streets to lose any troopers in sight.

If only it were that simple.

Several stormtrooper units and KX droids surrounded the Allanar Freighter. They called out a few orders, but from afar, it ought as well be useless gibberish. Cassian leaned against the wall of one of the buildings and muttered under his breath, "Oh, this is not good."

"We need to lead them away…right?" Talia peered at Cassian with a knowing look. She got herself into a running stance, attempting to spike up her adrenaline levels to make the distance.

Some missions had to come with sacrifice, and the fact that she accepted it head on was something Cassian could _not_ allow. She had done it once already, and that almost got her _killed_ in the battle. Draven would secretly appreciate it, and knowing that alone sent Cassian's stomach in a spiral. He furrowed his brow and denied her plan, "No. We're not splitting up." Talia stayed quiet, sneaking ahead a little bit to get a better grasp on the layout of the situation. Cassian turned to Kaytoo with full confidence, "That ship is our only way off this rock, Kaytoo. _You_ need to do something."

The disbelief rolled off of his voice box, "You said _you_ were in command. Now it's up to _me_ to decide what to do?"

"Yes! You're the only one that blends in."

"Well, then I will detain you and terminate your life if necessary." Kaytoo's eyes flashed red; he reached out for Cassian, leaving him reeling back in surprise. "I still have 8.3 percent of my memory."

A thought donned on him and he quickly found the right words, "Wait…That's it. You've got a base layer of Imperial programming. Don't you? That's why you keep defaulting to arrest mode." He backed up a bit more to stay out of reach. Thoughts plucked themselves from his memory as he dove behind the droid. "But if I can somehow cut that off from the rest of your active memory…"

"Wait! What if you disrupt something very important?" Kaytoo's attention was drawn to Talia, who was walking back to update them.

"Sorry, but I have no choice." Cassian bit his lip as he stared at the buttons on Kay-Tuesso's back. He pushed a few of the buttons in a sequence. Colors dashed around the buttons, warning him of what he was really accomplishing.

Kaytoo grabbed Talia by the arms, desperately looking into her surprised brown eyes. The question left his voice box in uncertainty, "But do _I_ have a choice?"

"Not if I do this right."

Talia realized what was going on and reacted, "Don't do that! He may not even function without-"

With a flip of a switch, the KX unit clunked onto the ground, accompanied by a loud _thud_. They couldn't be constantly watching their backs on the ship wondering when Kaytoo was going to turn on them. If he were to turn on them in battle in the next few moments, it would all be over. Lives lost because of a small chance it had memory left. Cassian offered what he could, "Have some hope."

"Over there! By that KX unit!" A stormtrooper pointed in their direction with his blaster. Half of the squad began walking, guns raised and ready to fire.

"Some droids have gone insane without that base unit. How are you so sure it will work?" Talia pointed her blaster at another building across the way to make sure her aiming was correct.

"I'm not." Cassian flipped the switch once again, his dark eyes locked on Kaytoo. He gripped his sweaty hands on the blaster tighter. Urgency flooded his hushed voice, "Come on…Come on."

"Cass, we don't have much time." She grabbed a small taser from her shoe and grasped it in her free hand. It was supposed to be for haywire droids, but in this situation, anything became useful. The adrenaline that flowed through her system begged her body to flee the scene, yet she fought against it and pushed it out of her mind altogether.

"Working on it." Captain Andor racked his brain for solutions. If Kaytoo did not get up, the only thing to do would be run. Too many stormtroopers flooded the scene, and if they wanted to live, they had to make it across the city. Leaving behind the Allanar Freighter would be a huge loss…but if it was logged into the Empire's database, it was a lost cause anyway.

As if reading his mind, Talia spoke up, "We can't take all of them alone."

Light flickered on in Kay-Tuesso's optics. The droid struggled to trace a thought as it sat up. "I'm…I'm…" At a complete loss of words, Kaytoo looked up at Cassian in desperation for memories of any kind. Kaytoo's voice lowered in a calm sense of confusion, "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. _At all_. Which is strange, don't you think?"

Relief washed over Cassian and faded as quick as it appeared. Words fell out of his mouth, "Listen, it's simple…" Hearing grunts and cries of pain, he snapped his attention to where Talia was.

The training session paid off. Talia was on fire, knocking stormtroopers over left and right. Rolling as she dodged Imperial shots, she hooked her leg on one of the trooper's and dragged him down to the ground. Snagging the rifle in one swift move, she aimed at the others in the squad from behind cover.

"If any stormtroopers get in our way, I need you to terminate their lives. Do you understand?" Cassian nearly shouted over the gunfire and aimed his blaster at the squad. A few shots hit the targets. Stormtroopers were dropping like flies, but not quick enough. More came to their aid.

Kay-Tuesso hesitated, calculating something in its mind as it watched the battle. Kaytoo concluded, "I understand completely. But I've been considering our situation, and there's something interesting. The odds of us surviving this battle are only 11.8 percent."

The rebel pilot blinked for a moment. _Those odds don't make me feel any better._ "Thank you for that." He shot his blaster repeatedly to the point where he could feel the heat emanating off of the end.

Kay-Tuesso dove into the stormtroopers head on, hauling them into the air without any trouble. All of them shouted in sheer confusion and groaned when they hit the ground hard. Kaytoo picked up one of the fallen blaster rifles and shot with ease, taking targets down left and right.

Talia injured a trooper's foot, then quickly bashed his helmet with the end of her gun. A KX unit grabbed her by the throat, catching her off guard. She attempted to fire her blaster, but the droid smacked it out of her hand. A choked breath escaped her throat. Talia kicked her legs against the droid, but to no avail. The taser in her hand came in contact with its arm, and when she turned it on, the droid dropped her. She got close enough to its neck and lit the taser, shocking the droid's systems before it fell unconscious.

Talia rubbed her neck lightly as she snatched her blaster off of the ground and sprinted behind cover. Oxygen made its way back into her lungs, freeing that horrible feeling pent up inside of her. Talia's eyes wandered over to Kaytoo, who was flailing his arms as he attacked everything in sight. She yelled out to Cassian, "I didn't think it would work."

"Neither did I." Cassian surveyed the area. Few troopers stood by near the ship, aiming their blasters in their direction. The rest of the squad was currently being taken out by Kaytoo, and that had a predictable end. Kaytoo was built for speed and strength. There was no way the stormtroopers stood a chance. "There's a clear path!" He waved to Talia and began to run towards the open freighter. "Kaytoo, come on!"

Cassian and Kaytoo entered the ship first. Talia glanced back to see a new squadron of stormtroopers flooding the area. "Reinforcements!" She closed the ship and rushed to the copilot's chair.

Kay-Tuesso stood tall behind Cassian and informed him, "I'm making calculations for a jump to lightspeed, but we will almost certainly be captured and killed before then."

"So calculate faster!" Captain Andor started the ship and immediately took off. TIE Fighters already littered the sky, some appearing as little dots from afar. The freighter jerked to the side from blaster rifle shots coming from below. _Those stormtroopers are annoyingly relentless._

"Rushing these calculations could lead to a very _quick_ demise."

Cassian remarked without missing a beat, "Do you want me to give you a very quick demise? Because I know where to find the switch!"

Kaytoo paused and studied Cassian. Based on its previous encounters, it formed an observation, "Curious. You seem to rely on empty threads instead of a strong bargaining position."

Talia laughed in the middle of firing at the TIEs in front of them. One of the TIEs lit up in flames and spun out of control, landing somewhere in the city. Cassian gave her the side eye before bickering, "Want to know what _I'm_ curious about? How you lost the filter between your brain and your mouth."

"He wouldn't be this way if you let me reprogram him," Talia snickered. Cassian scoffed in response. It was all the reply she needed for a comment like that.

As the last few TIEs passed the freighter, Kaytoo reported, "We are now safe to go into hyperspace." Cassian punched it into hyperspace, leaving all the chaos behind. Kay-Tuesso responded honestly, "I never thought we'd make it this far."

Cassian rubbed his hands down his face in frustration. The nerves in his brain were on end, and the amount of adrenaline left over left him shaking subtly. He sighed, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You're welcome."

"Is there any way we can fix him?" Cassian asked as he turned his chair to face Talia. He could see it in her face that she was drained, yet the adrenaline flowing through her body counteracted that. He waited until her eyes met his.

"I don't think so. Unless the rebellion has a base program we can use." The tenseness lifted off of her shoulders, allowing her to sink back into the chair. That's when it all hit her. Aches jolted in different parts of her body, and the slow burn of bruises began to form above her tender muscles. She cringed as she pulled the holochip from her pocket and handed it to Cassian. He took it, and hesitated as his fingers brushed against hers, but quickly accepted the holochip.

Kaytoo spoke up, "I never learned your name. For data files, of course."

Knowing that this droid was currently under his orders, Cassian introduced himself first, "I'm Captain Cassian Andor. This is my partner, Talia Revik." He still stared at Talia. Talia, surprised at the new title, saluted towards Kaytoo.

The KX unit placed its hand on its chest gently and inquired, "And who am I?"

"You are Kay-Tuesso. Welcome to the Rebellion."


	21. Chapter 19 - Emergency

"You did _what_?"

Rebels gathered around the campfire, taking swigs of their home brewed drinks every now and then. Cassian introduced them one-by-one to Talia, but there were so many names that she just smiled and waved. Assassins, saboteurs, spies, pilots, mechanics, many of them came from diverse backgrounds. To be sitting in the rolling fields of Dantooine with such brave men and women felt surreal, as if the brith flying amongst the dark starry sky had revealed that she was in a dream.

Talia laughed lightly, grinning from ear-to-ear as she nodded. Cassian blushed, yet covered it up by clearing his throat and taking a sip of his Dantooine Ice-Twist. Talia continued, "At that time, I hadn't…" A breath hitched in her throat, tangling her words together in a web. _Killed anyone…_ A chill crawled down her spine. Bitterness and remorse tightened inside of her chest as she remembered how naïve she had been before that. So carefree and thinking she would never murder a soul. She shoved the feeling away and thought back to her first encounter with Cass. Her expression faltered, but picked back up in a flash. "Cassian's smirk _had_ to be genuine. No one could fake that. The senator that caught us ended up so flustered."

Kalla, if Talia recalled correctly, chuckled for a moment and couldn't hold back her words, "I bet! Sounds like you two had quite the adventure. Must be nice having a partner." Hearing adventures from a second perspective, rather than Captain Andor's, felt like a warm welcome to the rebels, _especially_ in a situation like this. Kalla's green eyes looked between Cassian and Talia before taking another sip of the drink in her hand.

Talia brushed her hair behind her ear, not taking a moment to hesitate before replying truthfully, "It is. I'm surprised Cass has kept me around this long."

"Cass?" Ven, a big, burly man, called out from the other side of the group. He chewed on some sijjo sewi, snorts of breath leaving his nostrils as he laughed.

Cassian sighed. If only he had told her not to say that either in front of them. Then again…he couldn't censor her. A free spirit like Talia can't be caged, unlike Cassian. Caged by his own actions and deep inner thoughts… "I lied to her about my identity, so she insists on calling me that."

"I think it's fair," Talia declared, glancing over at him to see his straight expression. Amused, she leaned back against the giant fallen tree and bit her lip to keep from smiling.

Halron, one of Cassian's closest friends, stared at Cassian with a mischievous grin. The man had told wondrous stories of how he sabotaged many Imperial vehicles, and even weapons within facilities. The one where the stormtrooper blew up his buddy's hand on accident would forever be engrained in Talia's mind. Halron poked fun and winked, "Is she the only one that can call you that?"

With a snort, Cassian ignored him. Rather than egg Halron on and allow the rest to tease him, or whatever they planned to do, he playfully bounced a comment off of what Talia said, "Talia didn't give me a choice in staging that scene. The smile might or might not have been genuine."

Someone within the big circle muttered mostly to themselves, forlorn and shaken to the core, "The alternative is _much_ worse."

The contorted expression on what was left of Bohk's bloody face imprinted itself onto the back of her eyelids, flashing before her in a torturous fashion when she blinked. Her breathing deepened, the image catching her off guard. Talia rubbed her thumb against the top of her hand to distract herself as she admitted, "Which is what I tried to avoid." A stray thought crossed her mind. _Cassian can't seem to stay away from death._

Essja, a blue Twi'lek assassin with a rather impressive record, spoke up from the side, "Have you done it?" She stared at Talia with bright, colorful eyes that softened into worry. Some people were made to kill. Others were made to protect, and Talia's words bled that. Essja saw right through them.

"Take a life?" The blaster shots rang in her ear in the distant memory. Bile churned in her stomach, causing her to feel ill. She pushed a single confirmation out of her throat, "Yes."

Cassian looked at her thankfully, noticing as she paled. He quickly diverted the conversation to end on a lighter note, "She took out the bounty hunter to save me. Talia could've easily ran, but didn't."

Halron hitched an eyebrow and glimpsed at Talia with his black eyes. He marveled, "Saved our boy _and_ killed a hunter? Color me impressed."

At this point, Talia held herself back from wringing her hands. She massaged one hand by running her thumb across her palm with pressure. Her brown eyes locked onto the ground as the bile threatened to rise up in her throat. "Most difficult thing I've ever had to do."

A rebel she didn't remember the name of seemed to take an interrogative stance to her comment, "Rather than running out into a hot battlefield as bait? I can hardly believe that."

With a shrug, she admitted simply, "I was ready to die for the cause. If it saved Cassian, then I knew the Rebellion was in good hands." It was the whole truth. Dying for the cause, especially to save another, seemed to be the best way to go out as a spy. The blaze of glory, running out into an active battlefield, and diverting the attention of the soldiers to allow Cassian to escape…She'd do it again if she had to.

"Sounds like you two have grown pretty close," Kalla concluded.

Talia nodded slowly. With everything they had gone through, how could they not? They hit a few rocky points, but pushing each other's buttons seemed so natural to them. Secrets could only go so far until they're discovered. "Yeah. We have."

A soldier set his head on his hands and stared at the fire dreamily, "Captain Andor is a grand spy, isn't he? So many victories, so few losses. Skilled enough to come back in one piece _and_ with a robot…He's awesome…" He trailed off and sent a wink Cassian's way.

Without thinking, Talia joked, "Is a Mynock chewing on the power cables, or is that sucking sound you?"

With a surprise, everyone laughed. The soldier laughed with them. It was no secret that he had a huge crush on Cassian. The other rebels could see right through the man. Halron beamed at Talia, "I like you already."

When the laughing died down and the silence had taken over, Talia took a sip of water. The crackle of the fire snapped in their ears against the silent terrain. Some clouds covered the stars, overshadowing the light emanating from the sky. Assuming that they were all starfighter pilots, she questioned, "How'd a bunch of rocketjocks like you end up fighting for the cause?"

These fiery rebels came from all walks of life. Some told stories of the Clone Wars. The firefights, explosions, political struggles, it was as if Talia heard it all for the first time. The history books had _nothing_ on these insights. Bloody. Cold. Massacres and domination. Division of the galaxy had been at an all time high.

Others gave stories of the horrible encounters with the Imperial military police forces. Nuisance patrols, controlling local governmental police, doing what they wanted, the citizens of some cities had been so restrained. So cut off from the possibilities of life.

The stories rang on and on. Siblings murdered by stormtroopers. Homes burnt to a crisp. Joining the rebellion felt like the right thing to do. Politicians in the Senate screwed them over. Killings in the name of the Empire. Assassinations. New gangs starting up. New rebellions that were crushed and obliterated. Soon, Talia had lost track of them all.

Sadako, a girl who had been quiet the entire time, hesitated. None of the spies had learned of her origins, but what better time than now to talk about it? They were family here. At least, in some sort of support group kind of way. "I…uh…I was living in Callos for a while. Beautiful, overgrown jungles with hellish winters. The natives were high end socialites, almost like the elite in Coruscant. They loved their education and philosophy." She paused, taking in a shaky breath. "The Empire found out about the new offensive tech the citizens constructed. It could've changed the war. When the TIE Interceptors rained down, scattered reports came in. Some discussed the Black Eight Squadron. Others swore Darth Vader himself was leading the attack. I didn't know what to think.

"I saved as many citizens as I could. Barely got out alive myself. When the bombings stopped and the Squints retreated, we thought it was over. _The Empire had no mercy_." She scowled, a low, guttural growl rose from her throat. A tear rolled down her cheek and glistened in the light of the crackling fire. "They took out the planetary reactor before their departure. The gunk rising out of it poisoned the water and damaged the atmosphere. The forest died out in a matter of months."

With a pause, Sadako brushed the tear away with her clenched hand. Her dark eyes never left the fire. " _That's_ why I'm here. The Empire had no mercy destroying an entire planet's ecosystem. I will have none when we take them out."

All of the rebels sat in stunned silence. Eyes averted from Sadako, pain forming on every single one of their faces. To lose an entire planet made everyone else's reasons seem so small; the Empire was relentless. Talia closed her eyes for a brief moment, remembering her own horror story of a turning point, and a sharp pain formed in her chest. "Shit…" She trailed off, a sorrowful expression forming on her features. "I'm so sorry."

Sadako raised her drink, the fierce expression engrained into her face. "To the Rebellion."

Everyone raised their drinks and repeated the line. Someone else decided to talk about what made them join, when Cassian began to stare at Talia. Even if they were discussing negative events, all of them were opening up. For the first time in a long time, they weren't pretending that they were okay. In reality, the rebels were living with huge weights on their shoulders, sinking them into the abyss of the stars. Talia brought a comforting feel to the group. Maybe it was because she was new, or their drinks had been stronger than usual. Cassian couldn't tell.

All he cared about was the fact that she got along well with his friends.

Talia had to do a double take when she realized he was staring right at her. She looked into his dark, glistening eyes as the light of the fire reflected off of them. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and a warmth crept over her chest. Cassian's lips formed into a sweet grin at the sight of her. Maybe the walls around his heart fell quicker than he realized.

A telecommunications officer ran up to the group; his hair stuck up from taking the headset off too quickly. Fear instilled itself into his dark eyes, glancing at every single one of them. Out of breath, he choked out the words, "The senators…they've been…taken."

The whole group questioned in disbelief simultaniously, "What?"

The worker took a short moment to catch his breath. He bent over, his hands on his knees to balance himself. Still winded, he managed to spit out, "Darth Vader has kidnapped the senators."


	22. Chapter 20 - Divided We Fall

Rebels stood around the main control room, watching General Draven intently. The General remained silent as he leaned over the communications hub, shoulders slouched. His light blue eyes didn't meet any of theirs; his fingers curled around a communications headset, tightening every moment. A heavy smell of fear and desperation filled the room. Draven couldn't stand it.

Everything slowly crumbled down.

He took a few more moments to compose himself. Daring to risk his voice cracking took too much energy. More than he had, really. All he could muster up were the words no rebel ever wanted to hear, "The Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and Garm Bel Iblis have been taken."

Someone called out from the back, "To where?"

Pinching his nose eased the aching pain in his mind, but didn't push down his stress. Telling the truth would send the room spiraling. Telling a lie wouldn't help anyone. Someone had to act strong, and right now, he was the highest ranking commander in the facility. General Draven lifted his head and stood up straight with conviction. "Sources say inside the Imperial Palace on Coruscant."

Disbelief rang around the room in scoffs, short laughs, and straight up fearful whimpers. Many rebels got skittish, wringing their hands, or swaying from side-to-side slowly. One person shouted out, "That's the Imperial capital!" After that, more and more rebels spoke up.

"Please tell me we're not falling for this death trap."

"We can't risk everything we have already!"

"The Imperials might know where we're located!"

Halron, standing with his arms crossed, glared at everyone mentioning disloyalty and abandonment. The air filled with chatter from side conversations, and none of the topics were positive. Halron's eyes finally landed on Draven, giving him the idea to join part of the interrogation. "Who the hell is our source?"

Draven's eyes locked onto Cassian's dark ones. Cassian stood up a bit straighter, hands behind his back as if he were about to get an order. To his surprise, the General didn't utter a word. Cassian took the hint and responded in a calm manner, "Someone that's willing to help us on this rescue mission, I hope."

Silence reigned. A hot blaster could drop and no one would make a sound. If the communications officer hadn't yelled out that the Senators were captured, this whole mess could've been avoided. But no. The officer couldn't contain himself. Draven made a mental note to move the officer into another position later. "His name is Galen Marek."

Talking of all sorts exploded in the room upon hearing the name. Some rebels left the room. Others clung to themselves in an attempt to maintain their fear. Some spout profanities. More began to bicker. Over the sea of fear, Talia could barely make out someone saying, "You mean _Starkiller_?"

"Starkiller?" Talia questioned Cassian. Her brown eyes searched the room, watching as all the spies, pilots, mechanics, and more discussed the situation. She slowly crossed her arms and put her weight onto one foot.

Cassian got a bit closer to be heard better, "Darth Vader's apprentice. We've heard rumors about him, until one rebel came in contact with him. She died the next day from her wounds."

 _Darth Vader's…apprentice?_ Talia's brown eyes widened as chills slithered up her spine. With a title like that, he must've been someone to be feared. Merciless. Murderous. Everything that the Empire exhibited through their ruling. The words came out more mumbled than a whisper, "You're kidding."

Cassian shook his head and turned to Draven, who kept his eyes locked on him. Cassian wasn't sure if it was to find his inner strength, or to instill all of his hope into him in particular. "The Senators left to Corellia to form the official Alliance. We would have allies in every corner of the galaxy. But...Marek explained it was a trap set up by Vader himself. Marek felt betrayed. That's why he's contacted me."

Bile rose up in Talia's throat, threatening to leave her system. She pushed it back down as the aching feeling bubbled in her stomach. Only bad things seemed to happen on Corellia.

Someone hidden in the crowd called out, "What do you expect us to do? This is a suicide mission!"

"How did he even know to contact you?" A skeptical rebel asked.

"He approached the rebels in Mon Mothma's ship." The stress slowly filtered into Draven's voice. His clenched fist almost punched the closest object next to him, but he restrained himself. "It won't get traced back to here. Do not worry."

"Vader will catch us all! We'll be executed in front of the whole galaxy!" Rebels started shouting, sparking the frenzy in the crowd. Never before had Talia or Cassian heard so much negativity come from their fellow rebels, or citizens in general. Spews of hatred for one another slowly bubbled to the surface pertaining to the disloyalty some were exhibiting. Madness, delirium, and so much more threatened to show itself.

Until General Draven screamed out, "SILENCE!" Everyone instantly fell silent, stunned by his harsh tone. Following that cue, he continued in annoyance, "Marek is going to meet a small team on Coruscant. The team is going to go in, release the Senators, and get the hell out of there. We need volunteers."

No one moved a muscle.

A wave of unease drenched the room. Without a soul speaking up, or maybe even breathing, it was clear that no one wanted to even be there. Rebels crossed their arms. Lowered their eyes. Tapped their feet. Others sunk into the crowd behind the rest. Hope had been snuffed out in an instant at the mention of a Sith.

Clearing the awkward silence, Cassian stepped forward outside of the crowd with newfound determination. Despite the unforgiving odds, there was always a reason to try. Right now, he could think of three reasons. Each one contained the name of a senator. "I will lead the mission." He linked his hands behind his back and stood tall.

Talia's eyes flickered to him. He had sheer confidence. Strength. Willpower. _Hope_. Cass wouldn't sign up unless he knew there was an inkling of a chance that the mission would succeed. It was enough of a reason to trust his judgment. Talia cleared her throat, throwing her hat into the ring, "I'm in."

A hesitant rebel spoke up from somewhere within the crowd, "You two are insane to even try. They must've doubled security two fold by now."

Without hesitation, Talia replied confidently, "We got in there once. We can do it again." She released her arms from their crossed position and stood at full height. Negativity surrounded their lives constantly. Only together could they become the beacon of light the galaxy so desperately needed. She glanced over at Cassian, who nodded in acknowledgement.

"We're not smugglers. We can't smuggle _people_ out of the _most secure place_ in the galaxy."

Thinking back to what Xyrias said, Talia shook her head. Knitting her eyebrows and narrowing her eyes in confusion, she questioned, "Where's your hope?" Shouting from the crowd started back up.

"Hope? You're basing your contribution on something as minute as _hope_?"

"Where is hope going to get us? Killed, right before we rescue the senators. If we set foot into the capital, it's over."

Hope got Xyrias killed. It doesn't mean they should let the rebellion die. Dying for the cause was braver than hiding with your tail between your legs. He broke his professional stance and almost pointed at the rebel, but refrained from doing so. Fire heated up in Cassian's veins as a surge of energy pushed his thought process out through his mouth, "Rebellions are built on hope. They have been since day one. Where would we be without it? We'd be going on about our horrible lives, not fighting for what we believe in. The Empire would _win_."

"If we go and fail, the Rebellion is dead anyway."

Talia scoffed. Straight. Up. Bullshit. What's the point of a rebellion if you aren't going to _rebel_ when something doesn't go your way? Talia stepped forward and did what Cassian didn't. She called everyone out that weren't believing in the cause. Her arms left her sides and pointed at every single one of them, or at least in the general areas the voices came from, and increased the volume of her voice, "If we don't try, we're setting ourselves up for failure. Without the senators, we are _nothing_. No funds, no influence, no more recruits...The Rebellion _will_ crumble. So we're going to get up and come up with a damn plan because the _entire galaxy_ is counting on us."

Even General Draven had gone silent.

Some members of the crowd stood a bit straighter in agreement. Slowly, their words were inspiring others to believe in the mission. To believe in the cause once more. Cassian picked the conversation back up, "You'd rather live in a galaxy where you're ruled under an iron fist? Where you have no say in how you're monitored, or even a just court system? The Empire has put us under a microscope, and you're telling me-" He waved his hands around at everyone in the room, "-telling everyone in this room that you're accepting of that? Because that sounds like cowardice to me."

His dark eyes searched around the room. He worked with these people. Hell, he even called them family. To give up at such a pivotal moment in time would not only fail the Senators, but themselves. "Every single one of you has been here for months, or even years. What we're fighting for －our _freedom_ － means something. Why else are you here? It's certainly not for the safety that this service brings."

Sadako, the girl with the horrifying origin discussed at the campfire, called out from the crowd, "Count me in."

The tension within Cassian's shoulders loosened. One side of his lips curled up into a half-smile. "Good! Good. We need more. Come on."

Hope was contagious. It was evident enough when other rebels spoke up. Halron nodded towards Cassian and declared, "With a hell of a speech like that, you know I will always have your back."

Kalla joined in, cracking her knuckles at the same time, "You guys need a pilot to fly you outta there in a jiff. I'm in."

A few more spies, saboteurs, and assassins joined in. Draven's face lit up for a split second, then returned to its normal, calm state. He nodded in appreciation to Cassian before giving the order, "I'll contact Marek. You're all leaving in five minutes."

The crowd disbursed. Some broke off into groups that whispered to one another. Others glanced at Talia and Cassian as they walked by, victims to their own thoughts. The few that were left went to their rooms to gather their belongings for the trip. General Draven took a moment to breathe the fresh air outside.

Talia followed Cassian out in the direction of their rooms. She tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Want me to get Kaytoo?"

Cassian thought for a moment as he continued on his way. Considering Kaytoo was still learning how to adjust to his lost memory bank, bringing him along could be a risk. Then again, how else was he supposed to learn? "You want to go into the capital with a KX droid?"

"Why not? We can say we're from another base. Keeps our cover."

He looked at her for a moment, his eyes catching hers. Almost playfully, he commented, "You have better ideas every day."

Talia rolled her eyes. "Or you're just finally listening to me."

"I'll get the supplies. You get Kaytoo."

Before he could do so, Talia pulled him aside. She glanced around at the rebels passing by, waiting until they were out of earshot. The tone of her voice lowered almost to a whisper, "Are we both going to pretend that this is going to go well?"

"It will." Cassian kept his gaze on her and sighed. It was clear that she knew what the Palace actually held inside. Not many knew the difficult time they were about to encounter. "You're referring to the maze in the beginning, aren't you?"

"Yes. Even after that…" She shrugged, almost at a loss for words. "We might see the Emperor, or Darth Vader. Sith are merciless. Just…" Talia paused, choosing her words carefully, "…live. Okay? I'd like it if you survived this mission."

Cassian couldn't help but to smile a bit at her worry. Maybe they were on the same page when it came to emotions. That would have to wait, though. The mission was just beginning. "Likewise, Talia." He walked away to get the supplies, leaving her alone in the hall to get the droid.


	23. Chapter 21 - Infiltration

Kalla yelled out from the cockpit of the stolen Imperial ship, "Almost at Triple Zero. Be ready."

Coruscant.

Anxiety built up so much within everyone that it emanated into the atmosphere of the ship, so thick it could be cut with a heated knife. The volunteered rebels sat silently, staring at the ground and lost in their own thoughts. Worries. Prayers of love, hope, and success. Some clutched drawings that their kids had made to their hearts. Others held onto old jewelry, molded to fit the shape of their hands perfectly.

Talia wrung her gloved hands steadily, her brown eyes trained on the wall ahead of her. Her brown hair was stuffed up into a bun, hanging just below her Imperial cap. Cassian's infiltration team wore Imperial officer garb, while the rest dressed as dignitaries or highly civilized citizens of Coruscant. She wasn't sure if having Kay-Tuesso was more soothing, or a huge mistake. The droid assisted Kalla in piloting, but kept muttering how ridiculously unsuccessful this plan will be. Accidentally thinking out loud, she whispered, "It never gets easier...does it?"

Halron, who sat next to her in the same Imperial garb, questioned as he adjusted his coat, "What?"

"Fighting the Empire."

He glanced at Talia with his dark eyes, wondering what prompted the question in the first place. The job was rough. It's what they signed up for, after all. Then again…it really could get easier. This mission could be the turning point of the entire galactic civil war. Halron played with his short red hair for a moment, weighing the situation's outcomes in his mind. "Maybe after this it will."

Cassian racked his mind for any contingency plans. Wounds. Death. Survival for some, not all. The possibilities racked up in his mind. Get the Senators, go back through the maze, and out the door. No other entrances were ever constructed. If there was a lower floor that the rebellion knew about, then maybe. All the intel said was the maze. No one ever came back to tell what was after it. He rubbed his fingers together, toying with the pads of his thumbs unconsciously. _Second ship. Need a backup ship._

When he focused in on what he was staring at, he averted his eyes. Talia and Halron spoke lowly. Cassian didn't want to draw attention to himself. He had enough to think about already. No distractions. The cogwheels in his mind turned. _Any vehicle will do. Transport to a hangar somewhere. Hijack a ship. Get out._

With the odds against them, that backup plan was all he could think of.

The ship took a slow descent, guiding into one of the hangars nearby the palace. The other rebels looked up in fear. Hopefulness. Courage. Or, nothing at all. Almost in sync, all of them turned their gazes to Cassian.

He shifted in his seat before he stood up, his hand grazing the bar above his head. What was he supposed to say? All of his inspirational words had flown out on the winds of Dantooine like a Brith. But…looking around the ship at all of their faces, their worn out body postures, and their conflicted expressions, words wouldn't soothe them any more.

All they needed now were orders.

Determination took control of Cassian's features. Serious expression. Fire in his eyes. Words were short, simple, and to the point, just like his mother taught him. "Kalla stays here for our exit. Halron, Talia, Kaytoo, and I will go in. Sadako and the rest of you will be standing by in different positions within the palace in case things go wrong." He grabbed a few communications devices from the bag near the cockpit. Fumbling with them for a second, Cassian began to hand them around. "If any of you see or hear anything, no matter how minor, let me know. Push the button, but do not speak. I will respond when we're in a safe location. One little action can mess the mission up entirely."

The spies nodded in unison. Some bitterly stared at the little device in their hands. Others stood up, prepared to leave the ship. Blending in would be no problem. Not like anything they haven't done before. Watching was the easy part, and most of them appeared glad to do it rather than be on the infiltration team. They filed out a few at a time to not draw suspicion. A minute later, the next few would go. Then the next.

Talia sidled up next to Cassian, speaking low enough to where she could barely be heard, "Are you sure Marek will be here?" How could they trust someone like him? He led the Senators to their doom. Granted, it was unknowingly, but still. How could they be sure he wasn't doing the same to them?

"Yes." Hope kept him there. Hope sprung forth, fighting off the sense that they were walking into a trap. Capturing spies that lie high up in the chain of command could really screw the Rebellion over. He leaned down a bit, keeping his tone low and calm, "Are you having second thoughts?"

Talia looked away, her brown eyes trained forward. She straightened her posture; a switch in her mind flipped to Imperial standards. "No. Someone from the dark side averting to the light is unheard of. I'm skeptical."

Bright sunlight shone down onto the crew as they walked down the ramp. The hangar buzzed with life. Senators, dignitaries, troopers, and high end civilians entered and left Coruscant. Cassian nearly forgot how ridiculous the fashion was, compared to everyday people on the lower end of the payscale. Bright colors, weirdly shaped hats, tacky dresses and suits...He didn't miss it at all. His dark eyes flickered through the crowd, taking note of all of the exits. _And I was skeptical of the Jedi, Sith, and the force. Yet here we are, going to fight against it._ "If you can't trust him, trust me. I'll get everyone out of here."

"In one piece, I hope," Talia teased, sending a sly smile his way, and subtly elbowing his arm. Cassian snorted, a grin creeping onto his lips. If they weren't on a mission, he'd send back some snarky reply, or even elbow her back playfully. But...this was reality. Time for business.

When the team gathered on the steps of the Imperial Palace, they had to strain their necks just to get the full sight of the front. It was ridiculously massive, created in polished gray-green stone. Talia could've sworn she saw mirrored crystals embedded into the stone, illuminating the Palace in the sun's rays. Many towers jutted out from the palace, causing it to appear a chaotic, rich mess. It'd be impossible to guess how many floors the palace actually contained.

Getting through the front had been the easy part. As they walked on, the team examined just how massive the first floor was _alone_. The Grand Corridor wrapped around the entire complex, giving enough room to house a whole hangar in some floral areas. Rooms lined the walls on each side, no doubt leading into meeting rooms, chambers, auditoriums, and more used by politicians. Black stone and red tinted windows lined the walls in between the gorgeous Ch'halla trees. Amongst all the people and bustling footsteps, the vibrations caused the trees to change color. Upon appearance alone, one could get lost in the sea of rooms and people. There were no signs pointing in directions of specific rooms, turbolifts, or areas in general. Everyone went their own way and pushed their way through.

Once they cut into one of the less populated hallways, Talia let her eyes wander around at the tall structures and rich atmosphere. "Is this what they meant by maze? This place is…insane." The Ch'hala trees around them danced in the vibrations of their footsteps and words uttered. Cerulean. Magenta. A few colors from other star systems Talia couldn't name on the top of her head.

The trees were definitely gorgeous…but she couldn't help wondering what they were for. So many along the halls. Surely, not all of them could be décor.

Cassian responded dryly, "I don't know." _Only a few more halls until we meet the infamous Starkiller…_ His mind rode along that thought, until something else popped to mind. He thought it ridiculous at first when he originally heard it from a spy. Seeing the Imperial Palace now gave him the impression it was true. "There was a rumor where a receptionist died at her desk. Didn't find her body 'til a year later."

KayTuesso threw in his own thoughts before he could even think to stop, "We'd be lucky if we suffered the same fate."

Halron side-eyed Kaytoo, while calmly walking behind Cassian and Talia. He grumbled for a moment and loosened his dark tunic's collar. Attempting to ignore the droid's ill words, he brought the conversation back, "Must be compensating for something. Huge ego, and this? This is too much."

"This is much better than the hovel you are living in." Kaytoo couldn't seem to help himself. Despite not being able to fix him and his erratic behavior, Cassian couldn't help but to chuckle. Maybe keeping KayTuesso wouldn't be so bad after all.

Taking it to heart, Halron's face scrunched up in anger. "Someone-"

The group turned the next corner; Talia's eyes immediately fell onto someone admiring the art work on the wall. With low words, she whispered out loud, "Is that him?" Cassian nodded, and led them to their informant.

All eyes ended up on the mysterious man. Brown cloth covered his entire body, matching the metal chest plate and gray wrappings around his wrists. His hand rubbed his extremely short dark hair, nearly massaging the oncoming headache he appeared to have. The man's oak shaded eyes landed on them, seemingly having to do a double take. "Is this…everyone?" Cassian nodded once more. The lack of words arrived as a cold front, despite the collaborative situation. Galen Marek raised an eyebrow, his words cloaked as sheer stability, "I thought there would be more of you."

All of them looked up at the colorfully abstract Kashyyyk painting. Upon further examination, the canvas appeared to be bark from an actual tree. No doubt from the original homeworld. Cassian glanced over at Marek, who stared at the art with a sense of ease. Almost as if he were at home. Keeping his voice hushed, Cassian replied, "Can't risk everyone going in at once."

Cassian held out his hand, even as screams rose from his inner self. _How many rebels has this man killed? How many innocents have been slaughtered?_ Right now, none of that mattered. They were going to rescue the only hope the Rebellion had. It didn't make up for Starkiller's mistakes, but it paved the way for a brighter future. Cassian released a held breath and finally introduced himself, "Captain."

Galen studied his rebel counterpart as he shook his hand. "No name?"

"Safer that way."

"What are we up against?" Talia questioned. Right into the nitty gritty of things. Couldn't let the Empire get the upper hand because of time. She watched Cassian and Galen intensely, trying to figure out what plans they had in their minds.

The truth almost made Starkiller chuckle. The rage he felt for his old master contained it. His tone darkened as his eyes glanced away, "More than you'd like to know."

Without missing a beat, Kaytoo threw in, "That's reassuring."

"The maze is the easiest part. Without maps, the Imperials begging the Emperor for folly deals would never make it to the chamber." Galen clenched his fist, the veins protruding his skin due to his strength. Vader set his future in jeopardy. Left him for dead. Threatened the love of his life. All for what? Self gain. Trust for the most corrupt man in the galaxy. It was all useless in the end. Galen's jaw tightened, and he nearly spoke through his teeth, "This building's layout is engrained into my mind."

The group followed Starkiller through what seemed to be endless hallways. Dead end after dead end, they couldn't catch a break. No matter where they turned, people were there. Workers. Senators. Highly hailed people of Coruscant. Going to such meaningless places like restaurants and stores within the grand palace.

Supporting the Empire felt so right to the people who lived there. How could they not feel oppressed? Distraught? Morally corrupt? Questions piled on in Cassian's mind as they walked blindly through. Without freedom, all the people had was fear. That was not a way to live.

Any rebel that had previously seen the palace didn't know what a horror show it actually was. They were only in the first _half_ of the palace, not to mention the _first floor_. The group passed three hangars alone on the way to their destination. Kaytoo mapped the place out in his mind as they went, watching for any items in particular to associate with.

Breaking the horribly tense silence, Cassian spoke as he trailed close to Starkiller, "Where are the Senators?"

Pushing the question aside, Galen directed his comment to his communications device, "Juno, do you see anything?" No answer. Buzzing and scratchy feed from the other end. Galen pushed the button again, his hopes dying out. "Juno?" A sigh left his lips as he shoved the device in his pocket. "There must be some type of jammer system here. The Senators are most likely in the Emperor's throne room."

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Talia mumbled to herself more than anyone. No communications _and_ they were about to be face-to-face with the galaxy's _most dangerous_ duo? Her nerves stood on end, yet she pushed herself to keep going. She maintained her composed Imperial standard posture and followed suit behind the two leaders of the mission.

Halron's fingers twitched towards his gun every time he passed an Imperial officer. He let out a shallow breath and asked, "What's the plan now, exactly?"

"Star-" Captain Andor stopped and corrected himself, "Galen, do you know what the Emperor's chamber looks like?" He never thought he'd hear those words leave his own mouth, especially to a force user, no less. Hell, Cassian never truly believed in any of that until he saw one with his own eyes. Yes, Talia said she used to be married to one, but these days, force wielders weren't running out and about in front of the galaxy. Not since the Emperor killed them all, anyway.

"Unfortunately, no." Starkiller abruptly stopped for a second, his head turning slightly to the right. His eyes closed, and when they opened, the pure fire rose again in his eyes. "We're close. I can sense Vader nearby." Then, it snuffed out like a blown out candle. For the first time, a smile rose on Galen's lips. "Right about now, Juno would say may _the force be with us_."

The Emperor's throne room chilled the Senators and Master Kota, embracing them in the clammy hands of death. Goosebumps formed on their skins, but they held their heads up high, despite the grim situation. Their knees embedded themselves into the cold marble stairs as they watched the Emperor perched on his throne in front of them.

The massive curved walls in the antechamber held numerous stations that stormtroopers occupied. Three giant circular windows adorned each side of the throne, their web-like structure reminding them of the jagged lines of an Imperial Star Destroyer. More stations were placed around the throne, holding the members of the Emperor's Royal Guard.

Then there he was. The Emperor himself, sitting on his throne all high and mighty, as if he had already won the battle. Adorned in his black robes, the Senators could barely see his scarred face. Words left the Emperor's throat, mangled and scratchy, "You are all traitors to the Empire. You will be interrogated. Tortured. You _will_ give me the names of your friends and allies. And then you will _die_."

Bail Organa, who stared their supreme leader in the eye, spoke first in an eloquent fashion, "Our deaths will only rally others."

Mon Mothma followed suit, her voice calm and collected, "Hate with an iron fist shall not make us crumble." Nothing would stop the Rebellion. Even if they died, it would go on. Without a doubt.

"The Rebellion is much bigger than just us. Hope will persevere," Garm Bel Iblis finished, fear holding his entire mind, but not his body. Showing fear would only make the Emperor happy. That was something worth avoiding at all costs.

The Emperor almost chuckled. Poor fools. Hopeful as ever as they stared death in the face. "You truly do not know where you stand. Hope will _always_ deteriorate, as it already has." Nothing. No movements. Not one Senator budged. Oh, he'll make them crack. "Your very public and painful executions will serve as an example to the rest of the galaxy."

An alarm rang sharply, causing the guests in the room to flinch.

Master Kota grinned, his scarred eyes staring at nothing in particular. White hair fell around his face. Marek was nearby. He could sense it. "There may be a rebellion yet."

A blue display screen popped up on the table next to the Emperor. A holographic image showed Starkiller approaching the Supplicants Waiting Hall just before the Emperor's throne room.

The Emperor's right hand curled up, meticulous thoughts filling his mind. Anger, nor worry, pierced the serious expression he held. His yellow eyes turned to his apprentice, "Lord Vader, deal with the boy."

The turbolift at the end of the hall opened up, revealing Lord Vader himself. Light shined on his black metal armor. The menacingly tall man exited the lift, his heavy breathing filling the silent room. In a flash, his red lightsaber flickered on as he watched his old apprentice. "I've trained you well, but you still have much to learn."

Starkiller bit back all of the things he could've said. All the things he wanted to say. None of them would hurt Lord Vader. It would only be used against Galen, rather than help. Calmly, Galen stated in spite, "You have nothing left to teach me."

Starkiller ran forward as he turned on his blue lightsaber, and attacked Vader. With every movement, he poured his hate and anger into it. The clashes erupted from the end of the hall, as if it were some massive light fight on the battlefield. Quick movements. Left. Left. Right. Galen screamed out in distress of his emotions, but fought back twice as hard.

 _Bzzt. Bzzt._

 _Bzzt._

The two dueled as if they had put together a dance choreography. The movements were swift. Pure. Full of emotions. Betrayal. Hatred. Anger. Annoyance. Pain. So much pain. Each strike, each cry Galen let out, expressed all of that. Darth Vader countered all of it with precise moves, as if he were two steps ahead the entire time.

Hiding behind a massive column on one side of the hall, Cassian whispered to Talia, "Your husband did _that_?"

"Vader is skilled. My husband could not defeat him in battle, but yes. He did." She watched for a moment longer before resuming her hiding position. Seeing it brought back too many harsh memories. "The other Miralukas would not teach me. I'm not force sensitive by any means. The force is all around us, yet they refused me teachings of even the simplest of fighting. Some purist bumblefluff if you ask me."

The fight continued. Slowly, but surely, the movements got sloppier. Less articulate. The two resorted to using the force to throw any object they could at each other as a distraction. Lightsabers flung out, clashing against one another in an ear-piercing noise. Starkiller pushed forward, countering in moves Lord Vader hadn't thought of.

Halron nudged both of the rebels with his elbow. His face contorted into a worried expression. "What are we going to do if Starkiller loses?"

Kaytoo was the first to speak up, "His chances for success are forty-point-two percent. By the way he is fighting, though, I'd like to be proven wrong."

Right. Because that's what they all needed to hear. Talia glanced at KayTuesso for a short second before she answered, "Vader can sense us. I'd say get the hell out of here."

Over Cassian's dead body. _We came here on a mission, and we sure as hell aren't going to abandon it_. He pointed at both Halron and Talia as anger rose in his tone, "We're not leaving the Senators."

Halron watched the captain, looking for any signs of a tail. There was no way he was telling the truth while they were up against not one, but _two_ force users that stood between them and the Senators. "You'd rather die than help the rebellion live another day?"

Cassian's lips twitched as he held himself back from snarling at his team. The audacity these people had to come all this way only to leave baffled him. "The Rebellion will _not_ last without the money, soldiers, or supplies these Senators have graciously given us from the purity of their hearts. No matter how much hope and dedication we have, we need them."

Talia stared into Cassian's eyes, digesting all of what he said. He never answered if he was willing to die, but his actions spoke louder than words. The mission, if anything, will go sour. Cassian would not be on the sharp end of the stick when it happens. Talia would make sure of that. She agreed, "I'll be thinking of a distraction then."

"You are _not_ going to be part of it," Cassian emphasized. He knew that look she had all too well. She had it before back on the X-Wing retrieval mission. Considering how much he worried then, a fear settled in his chest about how much that worry would be now if the same thing were to happen again.

Darth Vader abruptly force pushed Starkiller back, causing him to stumble near the other rebels. With enough time on his hands, he retreated into the turbolift. Galen broke out into a run towards the turbolift, causing the rebels to follow suit. Once it came back down, they all piled in against the walls, leaving Starkiller in the middle. Sweat fell off of Galen's forehead, and his eyes screamed pure hatred for his old master. His composure was riled up, muscles flexing as he got into an offense position, ready to spring out at any moment. A chill ran up Cassian's spine as he observed all of this.

When the turbolift opened up, Starkiller jumped into the antechamber. The Senators appeared frightened at the sudden outburst, yet the Emperor grinned. The rebels observed and held back in the turbolift until the time was right.

Darth Vader ignited his lightsaber once more, defending himself from an oncoming attack. Only, his reflexes weren't quick enough anymore. Starkiller slashed a good chunk of his master's chest armor off in one swift move. Vader countered with an attack to Galen's neck, but ended up clashing lightsabers. Both of their breathing became more ragged as the fight went on.

Vader initiated a swipe at Starkiller's feet, only to be retaliated with a force pull. The Sith was caught off guard, giving Galen enough time to hit his leg. Vader's breath shallowed as he fell. Starkiller kept taking shots. One at Vader's hand. Another at his other leg. Arm. Chest. It wasn't until the lightsaber fell out of the dark lord's hand that Galen stopped. The edge of his lightsaber was held to his old master's neck.

Starkiller stood over his previous master, anger flowing through his veins. His hands twitched, causing the lightsaber to barely miss the fragments of Vader's armor. Heavy breaths and his emotions clouded the noise in the room. With his eyebrows furrowed, Galen's eyes slowly darkened.

The thought of killing Darth Vader filled his mind.


	24. Chapter 22 - The Fall

All eyes fell onto Starkiller as he stood over fallen Vader. The Emperor's yellow eyes watched intensely, etching the moment into his mind. His pale, wrinkled face curled up into a cracked smile. With sinister enthusiasm, the Emperor ordered, "Yes! Kill him! He was weak, broken! Kill him and you can take your rightful place at my side."

With a slight of hand, Master Kota used the Force to steal the Emperor's lightsaber. It buzzed as it activated, revealing a fiery red saber. Kota cried out in fear of what his new apprentice might become, "No!" He leapt towards the Emperor, aiming to chop off his head. In a flash, force lightning struck Kota, sending him straight to the ground in agony. The Emperor stood up and used his power to focus more on the Jedi.

Talia jerked forward, ready to help out in any way she could. Cassian quickly held her back inside the turbolift; his hand curled around her arm and pulled her closer, away from the view of the hall. Kota's screaming boomed against the walls of the chamber. Talia glanced at him, then back at the scene, heart sinking in her chest. When against a force user, it makes someone feel so miniscule. Weak.

Helpless.

"Help him!" Senator Organa yelled to Galen, fear clear across his features.

Starkiller's dark eyes shot over to Kota's position, taking in the scene as his good friend curled into a ball and yelped in pain. Starkiller glanced back down at Vader, only to see the shell of a broken man. His previous master's eyes were devoid of emotions. Vader remained completely still, not even moving to motion for mercy. Marek's pissed off expression fell, allowing his eyebrows to knit together, unsure of what he should do.

"We have to help him," Talia whispered as her brown eyes widened in urgency. If the Emperor influences him enough…that's it. It's over. Just like when her husband turned. She peered around at the team, who all didn't budge.

Halron asked, almost stuttering out of fear, "A-and risk having the Senators caught in the middle?"

Anything and everything could go wrong. Talia glanced at Cassian; it seems he read her mind. They were counting on things going horribly wrong. She grabbed the blaster pistol holstered on her leg and brought it close to her chest. Chills ran up her spine, and a cold sweat began to form on her forehead. Calmly, she took in a few breaths to strangle her on-end nerves. "It's better than having him turn on us."

In one quick snap, Talia shot her arm out and aimed at the closest stormtrooper. The blaster bolt propelled itself out of the gun, and hit the trooper square in the chest. He gasped and attempted to grab a hold of something as he fell off of the platform. One ounce of bravery inspired the rest. One after the other, each rebel rained fire down on stormtroopers left and right, knocking them off of their feet. The others shot back, hitting the middle of the open turbolift.

The Imperial Guards joined the fray. Each one pulled out a heavy blaster pistol from underneath their blood red robes and began to form around the Emperor. The scarlet masks only instilled more fear of the unknown into Talia; with near deadly accuracy, one of them nearly shot a bolt through her shoulder.

Cassian held onto Talia's arm to keep her inside the turbolift. His voice, calm and steady, uttered an order, "Distract the Imperial Guards! Their steadiness is going to get us killed." The BlasTech blaster held steady in his sweaty gloved hand, allowing him to make the first shot at the guards. Then, the real battle began.

The Emperor stopped his onslaught on Master Kota. With interest peaked, he raised a wrinkly eyebrow as his vibrant yellow eyes fell onto the reign of oncoming fire originating from the end of the hall. His apprentice lay on the floor useless, just like the wretched Jedi that Starkiller once called Master. Now, Galen would have to watch his rebel friends die as well.

Weightless. Cassian felt weightless for a brief second. It was unlike anything he ever felt before. The brith in the sky he had always watched flew so majestically, and now, he did the same. A calm sensation washed over Cassian…

Until his whole body got pulled outside of the turbolift.

"What the-" The breath in his lungs released as his fingers attempted to grab anything. Panic settled in his chest, twisting his organs around. Cassian's eyes flickered to the Emperor, who held his hands out towards the rebels.

As a kneejerk reaction, Talia flung her hand out, grasping Cassian's wrist tightly. She flung forward from the weight of the pull, but latched onto the turbolift last second as a counterweight. "You're not going anywhere!" The muscles in her arms strained and burned from the amount of energy that was being used. Her traction threatened to give out at any second.

Within seconds it did.

K2-SO wrapped an arm around Talia's waist in an attempt to haul them back inside. "You're going to get yourselves killed!" Talia used both of her hands to latch onto Cassian. His hands wrapped around Talia's wrists as well, fright clear in his dark eyes.

The Emperor stared at the train of friendship, intrigued that the rebels would so willingly die with each other. He'd fought so many that simply let their comrade die, quick and painless. These rebels would die slow deaths for betraying the Empire. The Emperor would make an example of them.

Cassian's breathing became erratic. Sweat dripped from his damp black hair. The Force pulled not only at his limbs, but his organs tugged inside of him as well. "T-Talia…" he stopped himself to regain composure, though fright shook him to his core. _This is not how Talia and Kaytoo will die._ "Let go."

"Over my dead body!" Talia yelled, muscles burning in her entire body. The Force held Cassian in the air, yet none of them were pulled further into the chamber. Talia glanced around, and when her eyes fell on Master Kota, a small smile crept onto her lips. "It seems we have help." Kota pushed them with his powers, counteracting the Emperor's moves. Blaster fires swerved around the trio, embedding themselves into the wall.

 _There may be a rebellion yet._ The words floated around Starkiller's mind. His dark eyes settled on Master Kota, who strained against the Emperor's power. Kota stared at his young apprentice, waiting for him to make up his mind. Good, or evil, only Galen could make that choice for himself. With as much chaos going on, blaster fire burning into the furniture, and the buzzing sound of the lightsaber, Marek walked himself through it mentally. Imperial guards were joining the stormtroopers in the afterlife. The rebels were on the verge of failure. The Senators huddled on the side, away from the destruction. Either side could win. The question was, which side did he want to be remembered on?

Starkiller glanced at the train of rebels in resolve. He quickly nodded to himself, gathering all of his courage and energy for this next battle. All of his focus narrowed onto the Emperor. He surged forward in a quick run, catching the Emperor off guard. Lightning shot out, the crackling echoing inside the chamber. Before Cassian could fall to the ground from gravity, Kaytoo shot out of the turbolift and grabbed a hold of him by his coat. The droid took blaster shots to the back as they rushed back behind cover.

Marek blocked the oncoming lightning strike with his lightsaber, holding it steady against the strong force. When the Emperor halted, Starkiller took the moment and jumped onto a pillar. He vaulted right off of that and spun, barely missing the lightning jolted his way. The Emperor snarled. Heavy chunks of metal fell off of the walls and launched right at Marek. Instinctively, he pushed them away, or tore right through them with his weapon. Lightning surged around a few more lifted objects, raining hellfire down on Starkiller. He ducked for cover, barely missing one.

All around them, blasters fired. Some hit one of the Imperial guards, whereas others missed and melted through the wall. Cassian worryingly glanced over Kay's wounds, only to see that the metal plating had been shot through. The wiring stayed in tact.

Kota went in for hand-to-hand combat with the Royal Guards. The remaining three dropped their blasters and wielded the force pikes. The Jedi's moves were quick, almost graceful. The lightsaber spun around, chopping a limb off of one of the guards. The other two turned up the stun settings and used the force pikes against Kota, who cried out against the immense pain. The rebels joined in and shot at the distracted guards, who stopped and avoided the blasts. Screams echoed all around the chamber.

Drenched from sweat and adrenaline coursing through his veins, Starkiller managed to grab one of the electrical chunks mid-air. With a sleight of hand, he threw it back at the Emperor, knocking him to the side. Marek raised his hand, launching his opponent into the air. He conjured up all of his energy to pull his enemy down to the ground as if he were an asteroid shot right out of the atmosphere. Starkiller stood over him, ready to deal the final blow.

The Emperor lay on the ground, hands steadily holding himself up. His yellow eyes met Starkiller's as he boldly declared, "You were destined to destroy me." A flicker of a twisted smile flashed on his lips. "Do it! Give in to your hatred!"

Starkiller ignited his blue lightsaber. With the Royal Guards dead, Kota rushed to his side and set his hands on one of Galen's shoulders. This was another one of the Emperor's temptations, and Kota knew it all too well. Driving Galen to the dark side once more could mean the end of everything. Kota calmly stated, "He's beaten. Let it go..."

"It's a trick! He's more powerful than you know. And he deserves to  
die for what he's done to me," Galen sneered at the crumpled heap of robe that lay below him. The Emperor stared down at the ground, face covered by his hood, awaiting his death. Anger drove itself through Starkiller's veins, reminding him of how much he has truly gone through because of that wretched man. His lip twitched as fire set in his dark eyes.

"Maybe so. But, if you kill him now, out of hatred, then you will be right  
back where you began."

Starkiller closed his eyes. Kota was right. Killing the Emperor achieved nothing more than fueling the hate. It's what the Emperor wanted. The grimace and snarl faded away, and in calm resolve, he opened his eyes once more. He nodded.

"We have to go," Cassian called out and waved the Senators over from the turbolift. Soft smiles and breathless laughs expressed their relief. The Rebellion had come through for them. The hope had remained briskly burning.

Marek didn't move an inch. He exhaled as he thought to himself. Both of the galaxy's highest dictators were rendered helpless on the ground. The time was now. He could cause the catastrophic fall of the Empire in mere seconds…yet mercy found its way into his heart. What would Juno think of him if he slaughtered the two in cold blood? Starkiller slightly turned his head to look at his Jedi Master and put his lightsaber away. "Get Bail and the others out of here. I'll be right behind you." With a short nod, Kota dropped his hands to his sides and walked towards the Senators.

The Emperor sneered and quickly whipped around. He unleashed a sudden burst of force lightning at Kota. Starkiller immediately jumped in front of him, resisting the last effort the enemy could make. The rebels fired at the Emperor; the bolts stopped mid-air, and launched right back at them. They all ducked for cover, hitting the ground and listening to Halron cry out. He cradled his wounded shoulder and winced, but waved them off when they tried to help.

Starkiller screamed out, fighting against the lightning as much as his body could allow him to take. "Go! Hurry! Protect the Senators!"

Agonized screaming erupted from the chamber as the doors to the turbolift closed. The team took a few breaths, holding onto each other's shoulders for support. Once in the hall, the Senators followed behind Cassian, Kaytoo, and Master Kota, leaving Talia and Halron in the back. Feet pounding against the ground echoed throughout the long hall.

 _Boom._

The whole building shook as an explosion occurred in the Emperor's chamber. Glass shattered all around them; everyone ducked, arms covering their faces to shield themselves. The ground rumbled for a few moments before everything ceased. Kota stopped and peered back at the turbolift, distraught twisting his lips into a worried frown.

Talia put a steady hand gently on Kota's arm. She looked into his eyes and the image of her ex-husband flickered over him, causing her to pause. A pain in her stomach twitched after her heart stopped. She shook her head to get out of the daze and whispered, "He saved us. We have to go."

Harsh footsteps echoed against the walls of the grand hall, drowning out any sound until the alarm system began to go off. Cassian said something as he turned around to do a quick head count, but the shrill alarm drowned him out. He ran ahead with Kaytoo, guiding the group out of the palace. Talia and Kota hung back, keeping the Senators and Halron in the middle for safety.

After arriving at a double hallway, Cassian's eye caught a squad of stormtroopers heading their way. Kay motioned towards the other hall and around a corner. Cassian followed closely in front of the Senators, and questioned loudly, "You know where you're going, right Kay?"

"Yes. Unless, you do not trust me?"

"I do trust you."

Doubting a droid who took it upon themselves to study their route in the first place seemed silly, at least to Kaytoo. He responded as he turned the next corner of the horrid maze of a palace, "We are close."

Cassian ushered the Senators to keep following Kaytuesso. Kota changed places with him, allowing Cassian to fall to the back of the group. Laying down cover fire was the only way to ensure safety. He quickly rounded the corner, shot at the twenty or so troopers headed in their direction, and shot a few. Two went down, leaving the rest scrambling for cover. Without having anywhere to go but back, the squad set up a firing line.

"I got this." Talia pulled a flare gun from her boot. Knowing Cassian wasn't the pilot this time, it felt right to have a backup plan. A very bright red backup plan.

Cassian looked down at her hands, and a smile formed on his lips. "I love the way you think."

Flare ready. Aim. Fire. Literally. When Talia shot it, it sparked against the stormtroopers' armors, setting the hallway on fire. The carpet and furniture burned, causing dark smoke to emanate from them. The stormtroopers screeched and either ran away, or died soon after from burning alive.

Without missing a beat, both of them caught back up to the group who had just gotten to the main hall. The other rebels that came along as backup fell into line, forming a circle around the main battle-beaten group. Stormtroopers ran down each hall they could see and fired on them all. Kota reflected what he could, but some of their own soldiers died in the process.

In the wide field meant for star destroyers, the ship piloted by Kalla hovered above the ground. A surge of air blew everyone's hair back; they had to squint to maintain their eyesight. All of the remaining rebels scrambled into the escape vehicle before Kalla pulled up.

Every turret and stormtrooper in the immediate vicinity of the palace shot at them as they got into the air. The passengers held onto something and yelped when the ship shook harshly.

 _Bang!_

Kalla called out from the cockpit, "We got a burnout! Hang onto something!"


	25. Chapter 23 - The Corellian Treaty

Ringing overpowered Cassian's hearing, causing him to clutch one ear in pain. Blood dripped down onto his fingertips, smearing all over his hand. He blinked a few times, attempting to comprehend what actually hurt on the inside. He yearned to speak, but his deafened ears prevented him from hearing how loud he actually spoke. "Is everyone okay?"

The others that had fallen near him talked to one another. Some held their wounded arms. Sprained wrists and legs were stretched out, the rebels too in shock to even feel the pain through the adrenaline. Others caressed their heads where some blood fell from. Cassian stumbled over to the Senators, helping them stand up one-by-one, even if he could barely keep his balance. All of them nodded, their words muffled by the ringing and numbness of Cassian's ears. Once composed, they helped the others.

As Cassian's hearing slowly came back and the ringing disappeared, he heard himself mumble over and over, "Talia?" His dark eyes searched around frantically; his hand gripped the broken chunk of wall to catch himself. Panic built up in his system when he didn't see Talia at all. She was right next to him when the ship crashed. _Where could she have gone?_

A noise clambered from the cockpit. A few seconds later, Talia barely braced herself against the doorway, the blood on her hand caused her to slip. Her dazed self stumbled for a second, eyes wide and full of fear. Dark red plasma seeped into most of her Imperial coat.

In a rush, Cassian dashed over to her, his chest constricting with worry. "Are you hurt?" He reached his hands out to set on her shoulders, eyes glancing over her for wounds in an attempt to find out where all the blood came from. _I don't see anything. Under her clothes, maybe? Did something stab her? Hot metal? Glass?_ More thoughts piled up rapidly, making his head spin more than it already was.

Talia paled. Had something hit her? Was she wounded? Her body felt numb; the pain hadn't settled in yet. Shock tore apart her thought process. Her brown eyes looked deeply into Cassian's, but the daze prevented her from forming words. She shakily pointed to Kalla in the cockpit. A belt and cloth stanched the blood on the starfighter pilot's leg.

Even during the crash, Talia thought about others. Admirable in Cassian's eyes. A crashed pilot would be hurt worse in any situation, so it was quick thinking, despite being in shock herself. Talia could be stubborn all she wanted, but she'll always have a kinder heart than him. He'd never admit that out loud, though. He called out to the others as he squeezed Talia's shoulders lightly in appreciation, fighting the urge to hug her tightly, "Kalla needs help walking."

Sadako stood up, wobbled a bit, and walked over. No one else was capable of helping a half-conscious Kalla, much less aiding themselves. "I'll take her." Talia nodded and shakily hoisted Kalla up, setting the pilot's arm onto Sadako's shoulder.

Kay-Tuesso spoke up from the sidelines, "Cassian, the crash d-damaged my system." He held out his left arm as it spazzed out, jerking from side-to-side in small bursts. A spark or two flew off from the circuits inside of him.

 _Inhale. Exhale._ Cassian looked at him in the eyes as hesitation tore at his core. The Rebellion needed a droid like him. On the other hand, there were always casualties of war, and right now, the only one he was willing to lose was a droid. "You need to protect the Senators at all costs. That is still your job right now."

Noticing Kaytoo's head tilt signifying confusion, Talia rested her shaking hand on his malfunctioning arm. She forced her breathing to steady, and in between breaths, she took mental notes on his condition. With a small smile, she reassured him, "I can help patch you up when we get back to the base. For now, you will be okay."

Kaytoo nodded before throwing a side-glance at Cassian. The words came out more cold than intended, "I prefer her comfort over your authoritativeness. You should learn that."

"We can shelve this topic for later." Cassian breathed for a moment, cooling down all of the on-end nerves. _My father would be proud…My father would be proud…_ With another deep breath, he straightened his composure and cleared his mind. Sharp. Focused. Ready to make a daring escape. "We have to go." Cassian pulled out his blaster and ushered everyone out of the broken ship.

All eyes landed on the rebels. Bloody. Beaten. Sore. Ghastly expressions haunted the faces of citizens around the courtyard as they watched the rebels descend from the broken ship. Cassian led the dazed group into alley after alley, attempting to find a safe area to take shelter in for a few minutes.

The capital crawled with higher security than usual. Between the crowds and the large open areas, it instantly became a huge set up to get caught. All of them tried to keep their faces hidden and heads down low, but the blood covered clothing was a dead give away. As more and more people turned to look, troopers of all kinds noticed.

The heart in Cassian's chest thumped loudly, almost clouding over all the other noises. Gasps. Vehicles. Chiming of miniature holoprojectors. Footsteps of the stormtroopers starting to close in. The rebels' communications beeped as it came back online, and Sadako's short-breathed prayers appeared loud and clear. Talia whispered under her breath, but behind the prayers, Cassian couldn't make out what it was.

 _The crowd. Utilize the crowd and we will be safe. The troopers won't shoot with innocents nearby._ He waved the group to rush a bit more as they headed to the more compact part of the city. A mile more and they'd be there.

But luck was never on their side.

The rebels lost and lost and lost. Their fellow brothers and sisters perished left and right. Now, here they were, on the most riskiest mission to date, and they still lost. Even after a Jedi Knight himself died to save them, the luck shone down its hate.

Stormtroopers began to run towards the group, causing Halron to panic. He pushed the group forward and exclaimed, "Cassian, move!"

That's when all of them broke out into a haggard run. The Senators stayed in the middle, surrounded by the wounded rebels. Cassian led them through parts of the crowd, weaving passed everyone he could. If there was a time he could ask his parents for advice, it would be now. His heart raced and he felt bile rise in his throat.

They weren't going to make it out.

He held up his head to show strength, yet it was the bitter lie that made him grimace. When he turned the corner, he saw a large squad of troopers patrolling the area. Cassian turned around and ushered everyone back the other way, but was met with more security. The first shot rang out from one trooper, initiating a whole shooting arena around the civilians.

 _So much for civilian safety..._

Screaming erupted as people ducked for cover or ran the opposite way. The stray bolt hit a civilian, their body crumpling to the floor in a heap. Cassian pushed everyone back behind a bunch of metal crates and food caches, giving them some cover.

Blaster bolts burned into the metal, but never through to where it hit the rebels. All of them fired back, taking turns in between the reloading. The blaster shots. The burning plastic. The wretched aroma of fried flesh that filled the air. It all sent shockwaves through the rebels, causing their dazes to wear off and sharpened their minds to the situation at hand.

"To the left!" Sadako called out. She covered Kalla with her own body and shot at the oncoming bucketheads flanking them.

"Cassian," Halron began as he paled. Pain crawled up his wounded arm, reminding him of their mortality. Halron dodged a blaster shot before he continued somberly, "This is it."

A yell rushed out of Cassian's throat before he could even comprehend what he was saying, "No! No. There's a way out."

Kay-Tuesso reached down and lifted a chunk of metal nearly half the size of his body. He set it in front of himself, shielding the Senators from ricocheting blaster fire. "Chances of success have dropped to ten percent, Cassian. A more drastic plan might be successful in saving the Senators' lives."

 _No! We have made it so far. Think. THINK!_ Cassian paled, yet his expression told a different story. He held onto his signature spy blank face for dear life. No one could know how he felt on the inside. Someone had to remain strong. Have hope. His job was to minimize losses, but the variables changed too often. "Let me think."

Master Kota listened in on the environment and allowed the force to guide him. In sharp moves, he deflected shots with his lightsaber. Some of the bolts were sent flying back and downed a few troopers. Kota remained silent on the matter, his mind brewing with any potential ideas that could save them.

Hearing what Kaytoo said only made Talia's heart sink. His calculations could be wrong, but honest to the force, she didn't know. Predictability in war is always a shoddy guess. She took a few shots at the enemies and ducked back down. "Communications is shot. If we split up, we won't find each other. If we don't, we're a huge target." Talia gently rested a hand on Cassian's arm, "I'll take point on the distraction team."

"We really need to talk about your constant attempts at sacrifice." Cassian shook his head and set his hand on top of hers. His breathing hitched as he stared into her eyes, knowing that this might be their last stand. "But we've gotten this far. I'm not giving up now." The way she looked at him with such admiration and care killed him on the inside. If only he was as good of a man as she saw him...

A buckethead called out from behind his cover, "Lord Vader is on his way! It's over, rebel scum!"

Both of them dropped their hands quickly at the sound of it. The rebels nearly jumped out of their bones in unison. Hearing that dreadful statement solidified their fears of dying here. They would never stand a chance against Darth Vader. Cassian glanced around in an attempt to calm his skittish insides and caught the sight of a metal building. "Kota, can you make a hole in this wall?" Even if they could push the Senators in there and defend while they ran, it was a risk worth dying for.

Master Kota cried out as he thrust his hand forward in the air, launching the stormtroopers backwards. He huffed for a second to catch his breath. "Give me a moment."

The hope of a dedicated rebel never ceased. Cassian's hard work and dedication made it all that much harder to even think of letting him down. If she ran out there, she was as good as dead. They couldn't stay there either. Splitting up only created a slight chance of survival. As she contemplated scenarios, a blaster shot whizzed passed her head, causing the heat to wash over her. Talia panicked and ducked down further.

A burning hot sensation enveloped her hand; her narrow eyes fell on it in confusion. The bolt hadn't hit her hand, yet it burned as if it had. The heat...she thought back throughout the mission to when she came in contact with something similar. Lightsaber? No. Heated metal? Maybe, but doesn't make sense. What…?

A dawning expression of realization swept over her features. She frantically searched her pockets, her heart nearly beating out of her chest. When she grabbed a hold of the item, she pulled it out and exclaimed, "I got it! I got it." Talia raised the flare gun and shot it into the sky.

Cassian so badly wanted to scoff. "How is that going to help us?" Bring more stormtroopers? Light up the entire area as if she rang the dinner bell? Hey, look Imperials, we are here! Don't worry, Darth Vader, we're waiting!

"Starkiller was talking to Juno. She had to be his escape plan. He didn't walk in there for his last stand," Talia explained. Master Kota straightened up at the name. He almost nodded, but kept to himself and tried to cut open a hole in the wall.

Kay-Tuesso snidely commented, "I will never understand your capacity of hope."

Wasn't too bad of a plan. Cassian almost wish he had thought of it. "And if she doesn't aid us?" Which happened to be among one of the worst case scenarios. Best case was she saved them. Next best was that they were to die quick and painlessly.

"Then we cut and run." A short silence kicked in. Talia rubbed her fingers against her warm palm, the heat sensation in her skin cooled down steadily. Her mind etched the sensation in her brain to remember for later. Further examination was needed. For now, a smile crept over Talia's lips as her eyes locked onto a sleek metallic black ship in the sky. " _Have some hope_ , you two."

"You've got to be joking." Sadako's eyebrows furrowed as she scowled, venom seething from her words, "There's no way in _hyperspace_ I am going to get on that damned ship! Not when it destroyed Callos' entire ecosystem!"

Kaytoo questioned quizzically, "You would rather stay? And here I thought all of you rebels wanted to live another day."

The Rogue Shadow reigned fire down on the oncoming stormtroopers, slaughtering them in one quick burst. The blaster fire stopped, allowing the rebels to catch their breaths for a second. An aroma of melted plastic and cooked flesh rose into the air, burning Cassian's nose as he turned to her. "This is our only chance."

"That pilot aided in the murder of hundreds and thousands of lives, animals or not."

Talia urged Cassian to get everyone on board as she rushed over to Sadako. She grabbed her by the shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. A tone of slight fear shone through her voice, "What she did is _terrible_ , but it was under the orders of the _Empire_. Now, she is aiding us. _Darth Vader_ is on his way, and we have to go _now_. Please, Sadako. We can sort out our hatred for the Empire later."

Weighing options took only a matter of seconds. Live to fight another day triumphed over dying at the hands of a Sith lord himself. Sadako nodded reluctantly, biting back anything else she had to say as both of them got into the ship before it took off into hyperspace.

The beautiful nature of Kashyyyk held brighter colors than Talia had seen. The lumbering trees provided much cover for the wooden houses they held up above the ground. Dirt roads weaved between the grassy areas, leading to different parts of the village. Water surrounded most of the area, rushing every now and then when the wind picked up. Clouds hung low as they drifted passed the mountains, allowing the sun to pass through crevices and reflect against the water. When the rebels had gotten there, they admired the scenery on the way in. An encoded transmission had come in with coordinates and a call sign Senator Organa recognized.

Galen Marek's home was void of most life. No pictures, drawings, or art hung onto the wall, much to Talia's surprise. Galen did admire the painting back at the palace for a while. All the little wooden home contained was a few scattered chairs and a stone table in the center of the room covered in a thick layer of dust.

The Senators stood in front of the group of exhausted rebels. Tattered. Torn. Beaten. Wounded and still barely bleeding. Mon Mothma couldn't be more proud of their dedication to the cause. She spoke loud enough for all of them to hear, "We can't thank you enough, Captain Andor, for leading the rescue. And to all of you, the Rebellion will not only live to see another day. The fire that keeps it alive burns inside all of your hearts so fiercely. Thank you for your service."

Senator Bail Organa bowed his head in agreement. "It was very brave of you all to do this. Thank you."

Cassian clasped his hands behind his back and nodded. Being the leader of the operation, he spoke up first, "You are welcome. We weren't going to stand by and let it happen."

"We will talk to General Draven about all of you," Senator Iblis stated and leaned against the metal chair behind him. Even through his initial shock of being held hostage, only his shaking hands revealed that. The Senator held such strength in his calmness.

As the Senators made rounds with each rebel personally, Talia rocked back and forth on her heels. She wrung her hands, not nervously, but a sort of impatience. The question of the heat sensation plagued her mind. Mon Mothma broke her out of her train of thought when she stood in front of her, a bright twinkle in her eye. "Good to see you back, Ms. Revik."

"Thank you, Senator. Happy you're alive and well," Talia bowed her head for a short moment in respect.

Senator Mothma set a hand on Talia's wringing hands, stopping them completely. Talia sharply inhaled as their eyes met, and the Senator peered right through her. Mothma lowered her voice to a calming level, "You have changed since I helped recruit you. Your work with the rebellion has molded you into our family, and you are incredibly more open. I am proud of you, Talia. I have no doubt your daughter is too, wherever she may be." She retracted her hand and glanced over at Cassian. "You are also impacting others with your actions."

The old self Talia used to be would die on a hill of revenge. Nothing could stop her from burning the Empire to the ground. Now? Now she worked _with_ people. Became group oriented instead of a lone bantha. Her daughter _would_ be proud. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Thank you."

When the Senator moved on, that is when it all hit Talia. The exhaustion. If she could throw herself onto the ground without being looked down upon, she would have fallen asleep on the spot. Joy from the mission's success bubbled below the exhaustion. She had done right in the name of her daughter. That's all that mattered. At this point, Talia didn't know whether to throw a party or knock out on the first cot she laid eyes on. She dragged her body out of the room to get some fresh air.

Bail Organa clasped his hands together. Dark circles hung under his tired dark eyes, but exhaustion wouldn't stop him from one of his greatest contributions to the galaxy. "Are we ready to finish what he started?"

Senator Mothma nodded, "Better late than never."

"Then at last, the Rebel Alliance is born. Here, tonight," Bail declared, his voice clearer than ever. Uttering those words out loud was so incredibly powerful that it caused shivers to crawl up everyone's spines. What they've waited for so long was now here.

A petite woman stepped out of her watchful post from the back of the room. She gently removed the white hood from her head as she walked towards the table. Her shiny brown hair hung up in buns on the sides of her face. "We need a flag to rally behind. A symbol... A symbol of hope." The woman's soft, dark eyes gazed around the room before she wiped the dust off of the table, revealing Starkiller's family crest.

Senator Ilbis set his hands down on the table, tracing his fingers over the outline of the crest. A solemn expression took over his features, and his voice stated lowly, "Not only a memory, but the beginning of a strong foundation." He looked at the rebels, then his fellow senators. "To Galen Marek."

"To Galen Marek," everyone repeated in unison. They hung their heads for a moment of silence.

Cassian felt odd to respect a man they had questioned not even half a day prior. Marek's motives or intentions could have soured at any time like they expected, but he held true to his word. He got the senators out and righted his wrong. If only the rest of the deeds done in the Rebellion were that simple. Cassian quietly slipped out of the room and out into the warm Kashyyykian night.

Torches lit up certain parts of the bungalows and huts strung in between the bridges. Thumping and chanting echoed in the distance. The nature around him chirped their own song as the breeze swept through the leaves of the trees. Cassian spotted Talia messing with her hands near one of the bridges. He walked over and leaned against the wooden railing, neck craned upwards to stare at the twinkling stars above. "Beautiful night."

Talia peered over at him, her eyes taking in every detail of his face. Scruffy beard. Glowing skin. Dark, tired eyes. Cassian licked his lips before he sighed softly. Talia smiled a bit to herself, despite the nervousness rushing through her body. She looked away from him and joined in admiring the stars, "Yeah. It is."

"Thank you for trusting me."

"You're welcome. You've more than earned it by now."

Cassian nodded and looked over at her. Her messy hair covered parts of her face, making Cassian eager to push it away behind her ear. Beautiful eyes. Gentle hue of red on her cheeks. Soft pink lips. Cassian tore his eyes away before he could get caught staring, "We did well today."

"Saved the entire rebellion? Pretty much a blue milk run if you ask me," Talia joked. She chuckled to herself. That mission was anything _but_ a boring run.

Cassian laughed, a grin blessing his lips. This, this is what it felt like to feel light again. The weight removed itself from his shoulders and he could finally _breathe_. They were _alive_ , against all odds! Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he felt this way. So...free. Happy.

And with that realization, his body tensed up. His nerves stood on end as he remembered what he wanted to do. Wasn't there a manual or something to make this easier? Out of all of his communication lessons, this one was always difficult for him. A scratch rose up in his throat, clawing at his skin. Dehydration? Maybe. Nervous? Definitely. Enough to chicken out? Stars, no. "We make a great team."

"Even if we do reckless stuff, we're each other's rock."

"Which is why…" Cassian inhaled for a short second, a pink hue forming on his cheeks. "I wanted to ask if you want to have dinner with me."

Talia immediately turned to him, eyebrows hitched. _Did he really…? Cassian Andor, the annoyed rebel from way back when, seriously declared that out loud? Did he hit his head a bit too hard in that crash?_ When Talia's brain finally stopped joking, a slow smile spread across her lips. "If _past you_ heard _present you_ say that, I'm sure he'd have a heart attack."

"We've had our differences, but I have to try at least once, or I'll regret it."

"It gets too lonely in this job...doesn't it?"

Cassian nodded slowly. Words confirming that out loud only made it sound worse than it was. Or it would make Cassian sick to think of how the job crushes his dreams for a family.

Talia continued to play with her hands, rubbing where the heat sensation occurred. "The Emperor is going to want our heads. How are you going to live with laying low and not partaking in missions?" The question was playful, but didn't strike much emotion out of Cassian. Talia quieted down, slowly contemplating about her fallen girlfriend and her hateful ex-husband. Back then, she would've ran and hid again and again. When her daughter finally perished, she would die rather than back down now.

"It'll only be for a little while. I'm not out of the game completely."

Talia thought back to how hot her hand felt earlier. Was that her daughter speaking to her through the force? Talia hoped so. She hoped with every fiber in her being that her daughter was out there, somewhere among the stars watching over her. The only way to find out was to keep up with the Rebellion.

Keep up with Cassian.

If she could make her life a little more fun and full of once dead emotions, why not try?

"Yes."

Cassian's body suddenly enveloped itself in a warmth emanating from his heart. He eagerly turned to Talia, searching her eyes for clarification. What did she mean yes to? Yes to not being out of the game? Yes to it gets lonely? He finally uttered in a nervous sputter, "Y-yes?"

"I'll have dinner with you."


	26. Chapter 24 - I See It In You - 1 BBY

The air in the room froze as silence reigned. At this late of an hour, it was no surprise that the barracks at the base was dead. Everyone slept, and the thick walls helped keep most of the sounds of snoring out. Talia shut her eyes. Her slow breathing counted as a timer; every five seconds, she would inhale. Exhale. The room was quiet that she dared to think she could hear her own blood running through her veins.

Focus…

Focus.

The room itself was warm in some places, mostly around herself. Her body emanated heat like crazy in the chilly night. The closer her hands got to the floor, the colder it seemed. She followed that cold, trailing her hands up the bed and onto a side table next to her. There was something there. Something that she couldn't explain. There would be seconds of cold, followed by seconds of heat, and the cycle continued.

Focus...

...Nothing.

Talia whimpered and put her head into her hands. Focusing on something as vague as the force seemed impossible. It flowed through every living thing, yet understanding it was the difficult part. The heat sensation she experienced during their near-death experience on Coruscant really put things into perspective. Her daughter was force sensitive, so maybe she made her remember the flare gun during that moment. The heart in Talia's chest ached with a fiery intensity. If her mindset had to change, then so be it. If there was an inkling of a chance to communicate with her daughter again, she would in a heartbeat.

She got back into position, legs crossed and arms rested on them. Her breathing slowed, and as she exhaled, she released all of her thoughts into the void. If there was something, or someone, trying to communicate with her, then they might come to her. She just had to be patient, and wait for the change in temperature.

Which was easier said than done.

The thumping of her heartbeat rang in her ears, overpowering all the sound. Chills ran up her spine, causing goosebumps to form on her arms. She shivered, breaking her concentration. With heavy eyes, she glanced at the clock.

It had been a whole two hours.

She laid down on the ground and sighed. There had to be a way. It happened once. It can happen again. As she formulated a new technique to meditate, a knock came from the door.

"Come in."

Cassian shuffled into the room, his dark eyes underlined by the rings under them. His hands were shoved into his captain's jacket, wrapped around him tight to keep himself warm. He looked for Talia on her bed, but he stepped backwards when he realized she was on the floor. His eyebrows twitched in curiosity for a second."Working out again?"

"No." She pushed herself up off the ground, her eyes trailing the empty wall. It might be silly for thinking that it's her daughter, when it could have simply been the heat from the blaster shot. Holding the theory back seemed like the right idea. Cassian would easily dismiss it as a weird adrenaline high. "Are you okay?"

He hesitated, eyeing her for a moment. When he couldn't read anything on her expression, his eyes wandered around the room. A shrug of a movement raised his jacket as his foot tapped on the ground. Cassian glossed over the question with ease,"I want to get off the base. Explore, go on a mission, something. I feel cooped up in here."

"Laying low for a month really makes your skin crawl, doesn't it?"

Cassian sighed. With nightmares and horrible scenarios etching themselves into his mind during aimless hours of lying in bed, how could he possibly sit around doing nothing? The Empire could be doing something preventable at this moment! Some rebels could need his help! Or just...simply drifting out in space could ease his nerves. "I feel useless."

"Well, the Rebellion likes having one of its best operatives in one piece."

A sly smile tugged at one corner of Cassian's lips. Hearing those words drew his eyes to hers as the question played on his tongue, "The Rebellion, or you?"

Talia did not resist the smile that formed. She peered back into his eyes to hold his gaze. "Both." Getting off the base...to do what? Watch the star destroyers pass by? Perform a stakeout? People watch? What would Cassian, the man who stayed up all night watching out an empty window, possibly do for fun? An idea struck Talia, causing her to stand up and grab her purple coat. "I know just the place."

It didn't take long to get to Sesid, a beautiful blue planet in the outer rim territory. Green and black dots spotted the orb, indicating where the flush jungles and volcanoes were located. Cassian glanced over at Talia in sheer curiosity. What were they doing here, of all places? Tropical planet? So he didn't need to bring his jacket. Talia remained silent, her fingers rattling against the console as the air traffic control directed the ship to a certain landing pad.

A leaf.

They were landing the ship on a giant orange leaf at least three times the size of their ship. Cassian's eyes widened. How could the ship not sink right through? He held the arms of his captain's chair tight as the ship settled on the leaf, bobbing up and down in the water as they settled. He slowly let go of his grip and shot a concerned glance in Talia's direction.

A grin graced Talia's blooming face as pinks and reds highlighted her features from the shining lights outside. Her brown eyes immediately focused in on the bright city on the other island. She jumped out of her seat and sprinted towards the door. "We made it on time!"

Cassian's brow furrowed in confusion, but the excited look on her face caused him to chuckle. Nothing had ever made her that happy before. "For what?"

Talia opened the door and waved for him to follow suit. "You'll see."

The veins of the leaf provided them a path to the white boardwalk itself, dyes of green and purple swirled into the material. Everywhere Cassian looked, there was a different species walking around. Vendors of all kinds were propped up on the edges of the wood and robots with various arms attempted to sell their wares. Clothing, holographic tech, handmade jewelry, all the touristy items were here. Wooden repulsorlift boats docked on the side, waiting to be rented. Aromas of fresh soup and fish wafted into his nose, causing his mouth to water. Talia held his hand and pushed through the crowd.

The turquoise ocean brushed up against the black shore. White seashells were scattered amongst the dark sand, reflecting the moonlight like stars in the sky. Their feet sunk into the sand with each step as they made their way across a long stretch of beach. The aromas found on the pier followed the breeze in the other direction, leaving the overwhelmingly fresh smell of the water crash into their noses. After a bit of walking, Talia sat down on the sand.

Cassian glanced around. No one was in sight. They had traveled far from the dock itself and were only surrounded by lush forest and water. He sat down next to her and followed her line of sight onto the glimmering green city of Thinaka in the far distance. It buzzed with life, the cheering and music so loud that the beat was audible from where they sat. He inched closer to Talia and turned his gaze to the stars.

 _BOOM!_

Cassian jumped in his spot, his hand reaching for his blaster as a reflex. Talia set her hand on his to steady him. She pointed to the sky with her free hand. Another boom sounded off, echoing through the trees around them. Fireworks. The city was celebrating with fireworks. Different hues of vibrant colors danced across the sky. Cassian chuckled for a second to make his on-end nerves dissipate.

A smile formed on Talia's lips at the memory. "My daughter called them _sky flowers_." Warmth blossomed in her cheeks and she gently intertwined her fingers with his. "The Draedan species turned the islands into tourist attractions. Every month they set off sky flowers in hopes of keeping their tourism numbers up. They tell the visitors to make a wish on the fireworks and it just might come true." Her brown eyes wandered over to Cassian's, holding them in a gaze for a minute. "I like to think they do."

Hopeful Talia. Almost poetic in a way how she held so much optimism in such grim times. When it wasn't optimism, it was that childish capacity for innocence that he longed to have. "How did you find this place?"

The smile instantly faded, yet her eyes clung onto the happiness. "Sesid was the first planet I came across after I fled from my husband." She watched the fireworks amongst the stars, the contrast of colors illuminating their faces with each thunderous boom. "My daughter ran from the transport and made me chase her all the way here. Something called to her, but she never said what." The way her little body shook engrained itself into Talia's mind. Her daughter feared what was happening. Without her eyes, she often found more comfort in the force than in the world around her. "The fireworks scared her at first, but after I described them, she thought they were the most beautiful thing ever. Fireworks light up the sky, much like flowers do when you give them to people. She couldn't see, but she felt changes in a person's aura."

A family. A part of Cassian yearned for it, but when he saw that longing in Talia's eyes, he questioned himself. Imagining that loss broke a part of him. He couldn't comprehend how Talia fought to keep going. He had lost his parents but to lose a child… He scrounged up a light voice, "She sounds wonderful."

Talia wiped her watery eyes and forced herself to not spill any more. She bit her lip and nodded, taking a moment to regain her composure before she replied. "She was. She would have loved you. You're both stubborn as hell."

"She got that from her mother," he teased.

Talia playfully nudged him with her shoulder. Taken aback, Cassian paused, but a small chuckle rose from within his chest. It never felt more...freeing. He ran his fingers through the black sand and launched some at his partner. Talia squealed and got some watery clumps to chuck back. They threw sand for a few minutes, laughing and simply living in the moment.

Cassian couldn't remember the last time he acted so juvenile. Sure, quips here and there were to show he had the capability of having fun, but this...This was different. After the Empire rose, he didn't have a childhood. Fun events weren't part of his rebel regiment. This felt...exciting! New. He felt _alive_.

Before he realized it, Talia grabbed his wrists, stopping him from his sand assault. He yanked backwards, pulling Talia with him. They both fell onto the sand, and in one quick move, he rolled over and nearly pinned her down. She easily could've moved, but so much laughter left her that she got lost in the moment. Cassian's laughter died down the same time hers did, leaving them in silence as they stared into each other's eyes.

Oh god.

Cassian's whole body seized up. Nervousness blossomed in the pit of his stomach and quickly spread throughout his chest. His heart rate sped up, nearly thumping in his ears. The urge to kiss Talia increased, but he froze in his spot. Cassian was good at being a spy. He trained his whole life for it. To romance someone? It felt near impossible. He romanced a few women before, but it was all to get information needed for the Rebellion. Each time, his hatred for lies grew. Nothing he could change, though.

This? This was the truth. Full bound in emotions, thoughts, and occasional dreams wrapped in one chained box. To open it would mean so much down the line. A possible future. An appreciation and admiration for her that he'd admit out loud. Fear of loss. And quite possibly...love. Regret would never be an outcome to this. He'd spent most of his life lying and killing for a cause he believed in. To live life even for a moment was way overdue.

Talia noticed his hesitation. A pinch of sadness hit her, but mostly understanding reigned in her mind. This man was a wreck. Blaming him for not wanting to get close to someone during a war was a horrible idea. Their lives were unpredictable. Loss could happen at any moment. But...she had to try. If he didn't want to, he would shut her down. That would be okay. Talia slowly moved in closer, her eyes flickering up to his and back down to his lips.

Gentle. The kiss was as gentle as the rolling waters of Fest's rivers during the Spring. Reminiscent of Talia's touch through his dark hair that first day they met in the senator's office. As soft as her voice in his ear when she said, _Pretend I just told you something enjoyable._ Except this time, it is the most enjoyable thing he experienced. Her lips were smooth against his, and when they finally backed away from each other, he yearned to kiss her again.

Talia's eyes searched his, a smile tugging at the ends of her lips. "Shall we make a wish before the sky flowers end?"

Her eyes held the galaxy and he got lost in the vacuum. Molten stars shimmered, captivating him in their beauty. When he realized he was staring too long, he backed off and sat back down on the sand. Talia sat up and admired the view of the ocean ahead of them lit up by the colorful fireworks and moonlight. Cassian fought against the nervousness in his system and wrapped his arm around her waist. He kept his voice low to refrain from breaking,"Of course." Talia closed her eyes to make her wish and Cassian stared with the goofiest grin on his face.

What would he wish for?

It can't be for no more losses. There were always casualties of war. Can't be for his family back. That wish is lost forever. Happiness? Cassian watched Talia make a wish, eyes still closed as she moved her silent lips to utter her wish to the universe. No. Not happiness. He already found that. He closed his eyes and embraced the warmth rising from the center of his chest. Talia's safety is what he wished for. Casualties came and went, but if making a wish helped at all, it would be for this. The mission used to be the only thing standing between him and complete self-annihilation. He had much more to live for now, and he had to do what he could to protect it.

The night chilled the later it got. Both of them huddled together under the dazzling stars until the sun began to rise. This sunrise was much different than the last Cassian saw in Talia's apartment. That felt so long ago… Both of them were on either ends of the acquaintance spectrum, afraid of getting close and knowing secrets. Now, they were as thick as thieves, saving lives no matter the cost.

He still struggled with what he had to do. Killing traitors and Imperials who could bring the Rebellion to ash was good in theory, yet it took a huge mental toll. Talia kept trying to reinforce that everyone was worth saving. He admired it, but couldn't yank himself onto that holy pedestal with her. Not when he belonged down in the darkness. That is the only thing that separates them now.


End file.
